


Not the Plan

by JaneAlpha



Category: James Bond (Movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, Alpha Males, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Forced Bonding, Forced Marriage, Heats, M/M, Mischievous Eve, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Protective Bond, Strong willed Q, forced mating, of the A/O variety, suppressants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-20
Updated: 2015-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 03:24:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 40,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/568545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneAlpha/pseuds/JaneAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Q gets kidnapped. His kidnappers weren't so considerate as to let him take his suppressants so he goes into heat. To make matters worse his complete f**kwit of a boss sends a f**king Alpha to rescue him. </p><p>NB: Swearing won't be *'d out. Q will be very angry at every f**king Alpha. Bond is one of those f**king Alphas. M is another f**king Alpha. And this girl wishes she never discovered 00Q... Fuel the addiction!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fucking Alphas

He couldn't really blame 007 for the situation however much he wanted to. He should also stop thinking about the 'if onlys' too. If only he had taken his suppressant before he had left for work; that would have bought him another day. If only he hadn't been kidnapped on the Tube; then Bond wouldn't have had to rescue him. If only it had been another spy to rescue him; a beta perhaps? If only Bond had already had an Omega; current crisis would have been averted. 

Moneypenny told him it was fate when they had finally reported back to headquarters five and a half days after he had been kidnapped. "Fate!" he had snapped back at her. "Of course. Makes perfect sense now; it's fate. Fate that two people with nothing in common apart from working for MI6 and drinking the same beer should be mated. Let's not mention the twenty year age gap." 

"Fifteen," Bond had helpfully corrected from the doorway to M's office. "M would like to speak to you." 

"Oh good. I have a few things to ask our esteemed leader too. Such as, why he would send an Alpha to rescue an Omega who is most likely without their suppressants?" He had stormed into M's office sending a parting glare at Moneypenny as he went.

"007 simply volunteered and was on his way to your location before your intern found your suppressants in your drawer, Q." M and double-oh had shared a look then that clearly said 'silly little Omegas - aren't they funny'. 

"I know you’re thinking that my mind is all jumbled from the pheromones, the shock of being kidnapped, and then mated in quick succession. Well, I'm perfectly fine. Just very pissed off and I think I have a very good reason to be so." 

"I sympathise, Q, I really do. Perhaps you should take a couple of weeks leave. Sort a few things out. You'll need to find somewhere to live, I assume."

"My flat’s fine." He wasn't moving for anyone. If they were going to live together it was going to be at his flat. M accepted that Q’s flat was indeed 'fine' when Bond didn't argue. Fucking Alphas.

"Alright, well, take two weeks anyway to move 007's belongings in and get used to your new relationship. Bond, report for duty tomorrow at 0800 hours. I have a new assignment for you." Q knew a dismissal when he heard one but he was one pissed=off Omega and he wasn't just going to let these Alphas make all his decisions.

"Two weeks, M? And Bond gets to just return tomorrow?"

"Q, you're being emotional, irrational, and just downright irritating. You're not the Quartermaster I need right now. Take him home double-oh but make sure medical check him over before you leave." Bond had pulled him from the room then, hand securely over his mouth to stop any other arguments. Fucking Alphas. To top his day off, medical had officially deemed him 'unfit' for duty. Thank god that his contraceptives took at least a month to leave his system, ensuring that he wouldn't be having any baby Bonds this time round. His suppressants had been confiscated though. Apparently it wasn't healthy for a mated pair to not experience heat together. The contraceptives were staying; medical hadn't argued with him on that front.

Once back at the flat Bond had told him that he would go and collect his belongings and had left him to his sulking. So here he now lay, contemplating the entire sorry situation. Mated. He was mated to James bloody Bond, spy extraordinaire, master seducer, and all round great Alpha. Fucking Alphas. Now he had to live with this guy and be a submissive little Omega to him. The thought of cooking for Bond or pressing the man’s expensive suits knocked him a little sick. This was not in the plan; the plan was to remain un-mated until he was at least 40 and was past child-rearing age. He planned to be mated to a like-minded computer geek who had no intention of starting a family and was happy to simply sit about the flat de-coding each other’s codes. If Bond asked him for a child, he couldn't very well say no, could he?

Q heard the front door open and shut, signalling Bond's return. He should probably go and help the man unpack, he thought while hoisting himself up with a big sigh. 007 wasn't in the living area but Q could hear him shuffling about in the spare room. His spare room was bare; the full-length window which looked out over the city was the room’s main focus. The walls were white along with the bed sheets, the only things that varied were the black dresser and wardrobe. The room was clinical; the room was Bond. On the bed was a small suitcase and Bond was putting a couple of suits away which still had plastic over them from the dry cleaners.

"Is this all you have?"

Bond opened up his suitcase, which seemed to contain a spare pair of shoes, shaving supplies, hair products, and his MI6-issued laptop. "MI6 sold all my belongings when I was 'killed in action'. I haven't got round to buying anything I don't need yet."

Q moved more into the room when Bond entered the en suite to put away his toiletries. "You do realise that this is the spare room, don't you? My bedroom’s the other one."

Bond sent him a withering look as he came back from the bathroom.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable with me in here." The suitcase was put away in the wardrobe and the room looked no more lived-in than it had before Bond had started unpacking.

"That's very considerate of you, Bond." Q bent his head as a sign of submission which he felt was an appropriate 'thank you' for an Alpha. 007 growled in response and gently pushed Q from the room.

"This is why I never wanted to be mated; I didn't want to have to deal with a simpering, over-emotional, needy Omega." Bond sat him down and placed a pizza box on his lap. "I hope you like pepperoni." 

Q was in shock, and completely offended, but he knew his behaviour since he’d come out of heat had been... Well, let's just say it wasn't the sort of behaviour an Alpha desired in an Omega. He decided it was probably in his best interest to just eat what Bond had provided and not take offence to what the Alpha had said. Swallow your pride and all that. 

"I'm sorry," Bond bit out while he was clearing away their take-away boxes. "I shouldn't have called you those things. I realise this must be difficult for you."

"No. I'm the one who should be apologising. I've been difficult; not for one moment have I considered your feelings on the matter. I'm sorry." Q headed to his room. It was a huge relief knowing that Bond didn't want to be mated either. That way they could both continue with their lives with only the bi-yearly interruptions of his heat. Maybe things wouldn't be quite as bad as he thought. Fucking Alphas.


	2. Never Enough Time

Halfway down the street, Q realised he'd forgot his gloves. Damn. It was cold. Making the decision to go back for them was going to ruin his day. Not to mention his life. He'd missed his usually Tube and had had to get the one two minutes later. Two minutes was nothing to the early bird, but Q disliked deviating from his schedule. As he left Vauxhall Tube station at precisely 0823, he was taken quite by surprise when he was man-handled into a dark Range Rover. National State of Emergency that couldn't wait the extra 2.4 minutes it took him to cross the road, perhaps? No, life just wasn't that simple. He was gagged and blindfolded and it was then that Q realised he'd just been kidnapped within spitting distance of MI6 headquarters. 

It took Q precisely 30 seconds to come to the conclusion that he had been kidnapped by complete idiots. It wasn't going to take his colleagues long to track them. By 0900 one of his underlings would surely have raised the alarm that MI6's Quartermaster hadn't turned up for work. Moneypenny would quickly confirm that he hadn't 'rung in sick' or made any sort of contact. Half an hour later, agents would have checked his flat and begun to go through hours of CCTV footage and before the hour was up they would know for certain he was kidnapped. After that it shouldn't take more than six hours at the most to locate him, formulate a plan, and finally rescue their Q. Breathe. 

Yes, Q had lots of confidence in his colleagues locating him. The thing he didn't have was time. Q always took his suppressant at precisely 0845. On work days, he left them in his top drawer so he remembered to have them with his morning coffee. On his days off, he would take them home and set his alarm for 0840 so he could take it with a sip of water then go back to sleep for another couple of hours. Unfortunately, suppressants were a new drug. Only really started being available around 10 years ago when Omegas started getting more rights and more ambitious. Suppressants allowed Omegas to get better jobs and keep them without the added pressures of heats, families, or Alphas. They weren't the best. Forgetting to take your suppressant would force you into heat. The longer you had been on suppressants, the less time you had to take one to stop your heat coming on. It was recommended that you allowed yourself controlled heats at least once a year. Q hadn't had a heat in, oh, nigh on 10 years. He had until midday to take his suppressant or he was screwed... And would most likely be screwed by his captives.

It was 1234 when the first wave hit him. His body felt on fire, which was impossible. The cellar which his kidnappers had shoved him in was freezing. If he wasn't rescued in 36 minutes he was never going to get back to his flat before the full force of his heat hit him.

37 minutes later Q heard the tell-tale thumps of unconscious bodies dropping to the floor. Once all three of his kidnappers were down, the cellar door was kicked open and 007 descended the stairs. Great, they’d sent an Alpha. Fucking idiots. Bond used a pocket knife (one of Q-Branches own creations with a specially added laser) to cut the ropes round his wrists and his gag.

"Are you alright?" Bond asked, hands on both of Q's shoulders, grey eyes checking over his body for injuries. He was certainly not alright. He could feel that the second wave was about to hit.

"Do you have a car?" he asked Bond as he stood up, trying not to panic too much. Bond was an Alpha. His mind was screaming at him to get away from him but his body was telling him that he was all he needed. Double-oh nodded. "I need to get home."

Q thought Bond must have realised what was happening. Or perhaps someone had had enough sense to warn him but not enough sense to send a Beta. The agent didn't say anything when Q's second wave hit half way up the stairs, he didn't say anything as he carried Q to the car, and thankfully he didn't say anything while Q moaned and writhed on the back seat. He was wet now; Bond must be able to smell him.

"Where are we?" Q croaked out as the confusion lifted. Bond was silent, but Q saw his eyes drift to his Tom Tom.

"How long do you think you have?" The hitched note in 007's voice didn't exactly instil him with confidence.

"I don't know. How long was that wave?" Q tried to even out his breathing and decided to remain lying down for the rest of the journey. Plus, he was pretty sure he didn't have the energy to sit up. 

"You've been out of it for 20 minutes, Q," Bond told him solemnly. 

"I don't have long then."

"Neither do I." 

Bond pulled the car up outside the back entrance to Q's flat a few minutes later. Q couldn't even speak by this point. He felt paralysed with fear. His heat was upon him and he wasn't prepared at all. He felt himself being pulled out the car and groaned. Bond slung him over his shoulder and ran into the block, skidding into the lift; Q was pretty sure he heard the man growl at someone as he shouted, “Hold the lift.”

"What floor?" 

"Eight. Keys are in my pocket." He felt Bonds hands locating his keys. He vaguely remembers being in the lift but he most definitely remembers Bond throwing him down onto his bed. That's when his heat hit.

Bond growled half way across the room and stopped. He didn't turn around though. Q saw the man’s fists clench at his side and a vein bulging in his neck. "Please." 

One word; that was all it took and Bond was back across the room in a heartbeat. He pushed Q down on the sheets and mashed their mouths together. The rest was history. Well, that's what Q says anyway. To be brutally honest, he can't remember a damn thing. Most first heats with one’s Alpha went that way. Q's used to older Omegas patting his shoulder or head and telling him 'it'll get better'.

Q's not so sure he wants it to get better. He's not sure he wants to remember how much he begged for Bond. He's not sure he wants to know how much he pleaded for the agent’s cock. He's not sure he wants to remember how loud he screamed when James first knotted in him. He's definitely sure that he doesn't want to remember when he started referring to 'Bond' as 'James'. He wondered if any of his predecessors had mated with one of MI6's most dangerous agents; Q seriously doubted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! Thanks for all the comments and Kudos! I'm so happy that I decided to post this only HOURS after the first one!


	3. Separation Anxiety

Q hadn't woken up till 0918 the next day. It took him only a couple of seconds to realise that it was the continuous buzzing of his phone that had woken him.

"Q," he answered, as professional as he could sound when one had just been woken up... Besides, Q didn't get personal calls.

"Q, it's Eve. I'm at your door. Let me in, would you?" Q sighs. He's not really in the mood to be entertaining guests.

"Two minutes," he tells her before terminating the call. Q pulls on a navy blue cardigan over his pinstriped pyjamas and trudges to the front door as if he's walking to his death. "Moneypenny," he greets when he opens the door, stepping to one side so she can enter.

"Morning, Q. I'm here to debrief you." She breezes through his flat with two Starbucks takeaway cups and sits herself at his glass dining table, gesturing at the seat across from her. 

"Shouldn't M be doing this? I am his Quartermaster, after all." Q takes a sip of the Starbucks that’s just been pushed in front of him, almost moaning when he realises it’s a Gingerbread Latte; Moneypenny smirked across at him.

"Bond went all territorial on him this morning; told him under no circumstances was M to enter this flat without 007 being present." Q felt his jaw going a little slack. "We thought about sending Tanner but decided it would be better all round if it was another Omega."

"He can't tell M that he can't debrief me without his presence, can he?" The injustice of it all.

"He can tell any Alpha he wants to stay away from you. Boss or no Boss; you're his Omega, Q." Q just rolled his eyes. "M wants me to makes it clear that you aren't to do any work over the next two weeks, and if he finds you in the system, he'll have 007 confiscate your laptop. Before you say anything, Bond was all for having your laptop locked away in a secret location with immediate effect but M managed to talk him into giving you a chance." 

"I don't get what the big deal is?" He refuses to believe he huffs like a child after that statement.

"Oh, Sweetie." Moneypenny reaches over to give his hand a squeeze. "The first couple of weeks are hard after an Omega’s mated for a first time. Trust me. It's a pile of bullcrap too that Alphas don't get it half as bad as us. At the minute there are so many hormones running amok about your body that you simply can't function to your full potential. MI6 needs a Quartermaster who's thinking straight. It's better in the long run if you take these two weeks to get yourself part-way back to normal, then come back to work."

"Alright, I get it. I promise, no hacking into the system." Q held his hands up in surrender.

"Excellent. You'll be happy to know that Bond’s been grounded for at least three months. Stuck back in training." She checks her phone briefly before standing up.

"James Bond has been grounded?"

"Yes, well you can't really expect a newly mated Alpha to make rational decisions out on the field, can you? Then again, when has Bond ever made rational decisions." Eve squeezed his shoulder as she passed him. "Get some more sleep. It helps." With that she was gone, leaving Q to ponder what he was going to do for the next two weeks. Perhaps a break from work would do him some good.

Q spent the rest of the day in limbo between sleeping and trying to decide what he should make for dinner... Okay, he may have also have tried to figure out a way to work on the systems without M finding out. He hadn't thought of one... yet.

After deciding on a lasagne for dinner, he gave himself a little reality check when he realised that his current baking dish was only big enough for one person. He had an Alpha to cook for now, too. Luckily, one of the reasons Q chose this flat was because it was a 10 minute walk from the nearest shopping precinct just encase he needed to nip out for some extra wires or a light bulb or perhaps some phosphorus. He wasn't gone more than an hour, even though the sales lady at John Lewis had talked him into quite a few new kitchen essentials which had put him back around £300. He'd heard it said that you should always go for quality over the price tag because in the end you'd get more for your money. Q fumbled around with his key whilst trying to keep hold of his bags when the door was flung open by a disgruntled looking 007.

"Where have you been?" Bond's voice was gruff, as if he was struggling to keep control over it.

"Shopping," Q told him, gesturing at the bags in his hand which the blonde immediately started to take from him. This irritated Q a little; he'd just carried the bags from the precinct. He was sure he could manage carrying them from the front door to the kitchen. "Needed new kitchen items now there's not just me to cook for."

"I've brought back Indian," Bond informed him, nodding to a brown takeaway bag on the dinning table. So much for the pasta then. Q had read about this sort of behaviour in Alphas when they were first mated; the desire to provide for their mate. He should tread carefully.

"Thank you. Indian’s my favourite, though perhaps tomorrow night you'll let me cook for you? The mince is going to go off otherwise." Q almost smirked at his own slyness.

"I'm off tomorrow." Bond put the bags on the kitchen side and made a move to put the items away but then seemed to think better of it. Tidying was usually the Omega’s job. He did grab two plates from the cupboard and brought them over to the table where Q was already seated patiently. "I'll make a mince stew."

Oh well, it was worth the try. "I've heard that you've been grounded." Q tried to sound nonchalant as he tucked into his Chicken Korma. Bond’s eyes flashed angrily for a moment before he managed to shrug.

"M's decision. Medical's assessment wasn't great either. They've decided that I should only work 'part-time' while you're on 'leave'." _Ha!_ thought Q; who's laughing now. Bond was sulking at the injustice of being forced to work part-time as his Omega was off work, while everyone seemed to think it was perfectly fine that Q not be allowed to work at all. 

Q meant to respond with a snide remark about the injustice of not being allowed to work but instead; "It's only two weeks; we'll manage." Where had that come from? Bond seemed to relax a little at his words though.

"You're right. Perhaps a little rest will do me some good. I..." Bond stopped and looked at the window, and if Q didn't know any better, he'd say the man was embarrassed.

"You..." he prompted, eager to hear what the man had to say.

"I found it difficult being parted from you today." The blonde continued to stare out of the window, which Q was extremely glad of, seeing as his cheeks had heated up and most likely looked extremely unattractive.

"It’s normal for an Alpha to feel that way, 007. Separation anxiety; you're worried another Alpha might claim me while you’re gone." Bond growled at this, slamming his hand down on the table.

"You're mine!" the man shouted and Q immediately ducked his head as a sign of submission. How stupid of him to discuss being claimed by another Alpha.

"I'm yours, James," Q said meekly. They remained that way for a few minutes; Q with his head down and Bond watching him. Thankfully, the man’s breathing evened and he excused himself from the table.

"Goodnight," Bond called, just before his bedroom door shut.

Shit; Q really needed to pull himself together. He cleared the table and put away the new kitchen items before going to bed himself. There was a lot of tossing and turning that night before he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is probably riddled with mistakes but after a 14hr shift it was the best I could do! Not sure if I'll be able to get another chapter out until the weekend! Depends how busy my next couple of shifts are! Thanks for all the comments and Kudos!


	4. Alpha

The next couple of weeks were... difficult. Though somehow the pair of them had managed and had fallen into something like a routine. On the days that James went to work, Q stayed in bed until it was almost afternoon. After he finally dragged himself out of his pit, he would spend his day catching up on the latest computer games he'd missed out on with not having time usually due to his long hours. He tried to cook dinner on those nights as it was what was expected of him; Q had never been the best cook. James would come home around 8pm; they would eat, talk about work, and then sit down for the 10 o'clock news. No, the days that 007 was at headquarters were fine; it was the days that he was at the flat that caused the issues.

Bond would wake Q up at 0930 with a cooked breakfast (Q had him pegged as a feeder and would be trying out some of Q-branches new gadgets if his pants stopped fitting him). By this time he had already been out for a run (MI6 field agents didn't jog), read the morning’s paper, and completed a safety sweep of the flat. Yes, living with 007 made Q feel quite lazy and he had always thought himself an early bird; on the 6th day the Alpha had told him his late starts to his days were down to his body trying to get back to some semblance of normality after their mating. By midday, they were so under each other’s feet that Q usually suggested a trip out. The first day they had gone for a coffee, but they had to leave before they got to the counter when Bond started growling at the other Alphas. For the rest of the first week, Q decided it was better to go for walks until the blonde haired man's instincts settled down a bit. By the end of the second week, they had been able to sit through a coffee in a busy London Starbucks without any incidents. 

Q's two weeks were up and as much as he loved his job, he really wasn't looking forward to returning to work. There were a few reasons really. A) Everyone would want to know all about their mating. B) Everyone would want to know what being with THE James Bond was like. C) James Bond would be there, amongst his colleagues, growling at his interns, and just generally being a pest.

Q could feel his face heat up with the thought of the embarrassing situations he was going to find himself in over the coming days. He heard the key in the lock only a second before Bond entered. Q pretended to be too distracted by his laptop to look up. 

"Here." The man placed a black rectangular box next to him on the sofa, forcing Q to look at him. Bond was already done shrugging his coat off and was heading to his room, presumably to get dressed. Balancing the laptop precariously on the arm of the sofa probably wasn't the best idea but James had just presented him with a gift; a real gift this time, not the takeaways or the tea he had brought home but an actual expensively boxed looking gift. Q hadn't received a proper gift in years.

He peeled back the lid, slowly savouring the moment. Inside the box Q found a beautiful pair of navy blue cashmere gloves and matching scarf. He stroked his hand across the scarf, revelling in the softness. "There was a matching hat too but..." 007 paused to catch the laptop which had been dislodged when Q jumped, not realising the man had reinterred the room. "Well, I wasn't sure about your hair."

"My hair?" he asked, watching Bond carefully place the laptop on the floor, then head towards the kitchen; Q felt a little guilty for not making dinner now.

"I wasn't sure if a hat would mess it up." Q stared after him, perplexed; Bond thought he styled his hair like this? It was lucky if he made it to the hairdressers, never mind getting a comb run through it. 

"I... I. Urgh, never-mind. Thank you for these, they really are lovely." Bond didn't reply, not that Q expected him to.

The next morning, Q was surprised to find 007 waiting for him by the front door when he emerged from his room.

"I thought you'd be long gone by now, 007," Q commented before taking the coat the agent offered him, finding his new gloves in the pocket.

"It wouldn't make much sense for us to travel alone. Plus, you don't have a great previous track record when it comes to getting to work on your own." He tried not to blush as Bond paced the cashmere scarf around his neck before turning and opening the front door.

"That only happened once." 

"Once is enough for me, Q." 

The tube station was busy, so Q wasn't surprised when he felt James' hand on the small of his back guiding him through the crowd. He had done this a couple of times before in busy places, as if he were worried he might lose track of Q in the crowd. What did surprise Q was Bond pushing him up against the carriage wall and standing in front of him like a bodyguard. To be fair to the man, he hadn't had the best experiences on the London Underground. Q didn't dare trust himself to speak until they were out of Vauxhall station and in the sites of headquarters.

"Perhaps we should invest in a car."

"Agreed." Bond had his eyes on the traffic as they crossed.

"I can't drive."

"I can."

After 007 had dropped him off at his desk and disappeared to do whatever he did while grounded, Q found himself trawling the internet for cars. It wasn't until Bond came to collect him at lunch to take him to the canteen that he realised that not one person had asked him about his recent mating. He passed James the print outs of some of the cars he had been looking at, taking the opportunity to look around the busy canteen. No one had sat at any of the tables within five meters of them and it seemed as though everyone was being extra careful not to look their way. Bond had warned them off. He noticed the man watching him and narrowed his eyes. 007 just shrugged as though it was nothing out of the ordinary to warn off the whole of MI6.


	5. Of Cars and Mobsters

Car shopping. Not exactly one of Q's greatest past times, not that he had ever tried it before. He wasn't quite sure he could cope with another day, never mind another week, on public transport. Q didn't profess to know much at all about cars; Q-Branch had a 'car man' who decided on the best equipped cars for each individual mission. James, on the other hand, knew his cars like Q knew his motherboards. He'd given up trying to follow what the salesman was saying in answer to Bond's endless questions. Every so often he would turn to Q and ask him what he thought of this car or that one and Q would respond by making comment on the shape or interior and the two Alphas would smirk. Fucking Alphas. 

"The Rapide perhaps. Five doors, big boot, yet still sporty. Perfect family car for a man like you." Q paled then; not really sure what worried him most – a family sports car or just the thought of a family in general... In a sports car. Bond watched him for a moment before continuing on through the show room. "Perhaps not then," the salesman muttered before following 007.

"The DB9." Bond's voice took on a much more sultry tone and began circling a sleek looking Aston Martin, running his hand across where Q assumed the engine would be. "Timeless."

The Quartermaster almost rolled his eyes, hearing Bond's whispered appreciation for the car. He wasn't really sure what was so timeless about it as this was probably the most modern car that he had ever seen, but then again what did he know.

"You're a DB fan?" the salesman asked Bond.

"Yes. Very much so. Q?" The blonde glanced at him.

"It's up to you, James. Cars really aren't my forte." To be honest Q would be happy with anything that the salesman wasn't pegging as a family car.

"This then. How would you prefer us to pay?" And as easy as that, they had set themselves back £132 grand. Well Bond had. Q didn't have that sort of money lying about whereas the money that MI6 had made from selling off Bond's estate - and it was a very large estate - had been 'gifted' to him after Skyfall. Q had hacked his file (long before they mated) and he knew Bond was the heir to some family whose records seemed to have been wiped; he could find them if he wanted but Q respected the man’s privacy.

The car wouldn't be ready for at least another month so in the mean time the pair decided to get a taxi back to the flat. 

"You know, we could just use one of MI6's numerous fancy sports cars," he pointed out while hanging up his jacket.

"I would prefer to own our own car." 

"I was sort of hoping we could bring it home with us." Q thought wistfully about heading to work in style. He looked over at Bond who had poured himself a whiskey and lent against the kitchen counter watching his Quartermaster Omega. "Oh well; back to the Tube tomorrow."

"We'll get a taxi. Then at lunch we'll take a trip down to the basement to pick out a car to use for the next month until ours is ready." Bond downed his whiskey then headed for his room. "I'm going for a shower - shout if you need me."

Perhaps this was the first plus point to having an Alpha - being chauffeured to and from work. Many Omegas never bothered to learn to drive as transport was seen as something that was provided to Omegas by their Alphas. It was a long outdated notion but unfortunately Omegas weren't usually encouraged on to the roads by their parents, and even if they did decide to learn, it was a bit if a struggle to find a driving instructor who wasn't an Alpha and it wouldn't be the best idea to be taught one-to-one by an Alpha. Driving was most definitely an Alpha thing.

*

When Bond wasn't hidden away within the deep recesses of MI6 'training' he could usually be found loitering in Q-Branch, much to the resident Quartermaster’s dismay. Q was often so enthralled in whatever he was doing that he often wouldn't even notice the man had entered his office (to be honest it was the same with the other double-oh agents) and he would jump out of his skin when the man finally cleared his throat. If Q was honest with himself he had, at first, hated the fact that Bond spent his (free?) time in his territory. Though after he got used to the blonde being there, he began to enjoy watching the man weave between the desks, giving the staff tips on how to improve whatever gadget they happened to be working on. Perhaps, although he would never admit it, Q also began to feel his territory was missing something whenever Bond was elsewhere.

On a few occasions Bond had turned up for lunch but had found that Q was far too busy to leave. Once, Bond had asked if he could "do that later" and Q had snapped that, "No, I can't just drop hacking into the emails of a suspected leader of a cyber terrorist organisation." After that, if Q looked busy Bond would turn right back round and collect their lunches from the canteen and leave him to it. Unfortunately that usually meant he would shoo one of the interns whose desk happened to give Bond the best view of Q's office and eat his lunch there while keeping an eye on Q. That infuriated him only slightly.

It was a funny little routine they found themselves in, but it was a structured routine, so Q was quite surprised when he noticed 007 standing stiffly in the middle of his office at 0934 one morning. Bond never bothered him before midday. Q dismissed 'car man', who had just been showing him the latest batch of cars they'd just had delivered and was now explaining which sort of missions he thought they'd be perfect for, with a wave of his hand. Q-Branch seemed a little 'out of sorts', most likely due to Bonds unnatural morning presence. When he entered his office he closed the door and pressed the button which made the glass opaque from the outside yet allowed him to still see out. He turned to Bond and waited patiently, arms folded.

"M's given us two days leave, starting now," Bond told him while walking over to collect his coat from the hook on the door.

"For any particular reason?" Q didn't move to take his coat from the man.

"I've got to go on a mission." Bonds arm remained outstretched and his jaw set tight.

"And I was under the impression you were grounded." Q finally did take the coat from Bond but didn't put it on.

"I'd been infiltrating a mob for a while before this..." Bond gestured between them. "The situation’s changed. It's best if I'm sent in to take care of things before they get out of hand." Translated; group of power-hungry mobsters have got a little too big for their boots and are probably planning to kidnap the Duchess of Cornwall or something and it’s best for everyone involved (apart from the mob members) if Bond were sent in to kill off the leader.

"How long will you be gone?" Q put his coat on.

"A week, maybe two. It’s UK based, but I'll be undercover." Q just nodded.

"And why the two days off? Surely you're going to need some equipment."

"There are other people here who can help me with my equipment. I need to make sure you'll be alright on your own." 

"I managed fine before you and I'm confident I can manage on my own for two weeks, James." His cheeks had heated up with anger. God damn this man for making him feel like such an idiot.

"Please, Q, just humour me?" 007 gestured to the door; Q sighed but headed out of his office all the same. M would be hearing about this; two days off?

*

 

Bond woke Q up at 0630 on the morning he was to leave for his mission. He stared at the blurry figure sat on the edge of his bed. 

"I'm leaving now."

"Alright," Q replied stupidly. Well, what did the man want him to say? They'd prepared for Bond’s departure well enough. A car from MI6 would take him to and from work every day, as Bond wasn't happy with him taking the Tube alone. If wanted to leave the flat on his days off he could, but he had to let Bond know where he was going and what time he was due back to the flat. When he returned to the flat, Q would send one of their specially devised code words that they had decided on. For example, on a Monday Q would text Bond 'Arctic Cleaver' to let the man know he had returned home safely. Q had improved the security features on Bonds phone to a standard which ensured it could only be used by the double-oh. If anyone else tried to input a pass code on the phone, unless they used Bonds thumb to do so and cracked it on their first or second attempt, it would blow up. Bond had bought at least a month’s supply of food even though Q had assured him that he was perfectly capable of shopping for himself. 

Now Bond was actually leaving and all they could do was stare at each other across the bed. Then the man reached over and squeezed Q’s nondescript bicep. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay," Q replied, as Bond nodded and left the room. Well, that was possibly one of the more awkward moments they had shared; perhaps things such as that would get better over time. He shrugged the whole ordeal off and decided to get showered and ready for work. Perhaps he would check in with Bond's handler at lunch; only to make sure the agent had been supplied with the correct equipment in his absence. Nothing wrong with that. It was in his job description to make sure that all the operatives in Q-Branch were doing their jobs correctly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for Aston Martins; I delivered. I actually had a day off and had the time to double check this chapter so any mistakes are down to my incompetence not the fact that I've just done a 14 hour shift haha.


	6. Texts

At work. Q  
29/11/12 8.43am

Home. Austria Wok. Q  
29/11/12 18.18pm

You forgot the code words  
in your first message. J  
29/11/12 18.18pm

So I did. Sorry won't  
happen again. Q  
29/11/12 18.32pm

Are you ok? J  
30/11/12 23.34pm

Yes... Well I was until  
your text woke me up. Q  
30/11/12 23.36pm

Haven't heard from you  
today. J  
30/11/12 23.40pm

Perhaps that's because I  
haven't left the flat? Q  
30/11/12 23.43pm

Night, Q. J  
30/11/12 23.46pm

At work. Asia donkey. Q  
1/12/12 8.37am

Home. Asia fork. Q  
1/12/12 19.42pm

Going out for dinner. Q  
1/12/12 20.12pm

There's food in the fridge.  
Why do you need to go  
out for dinner? J  
1/12/12 20.14pm

I feel like sushi. Q  
1/12/12 20.17pm

Home. Asia fork. Q  
1/12/12 21.43pm

How was the sushi? J  
1/12/12 22.14pm

Rubbish. Wish I'd   
stayed in. Off tomorrow.  
How's your mission? Q  
1/12/12 22.26pm

Taking longer than I had  
hoped. J  
1/12/12 22.54pm

That's a bum. Q  
1/12/12 23.15pm

Just realised how   
boring my life was  
without you around. Q  
2/12/12 21.23pm

At work. Arctic cleaver. Q  
3/12/12 8.38am

Home. Arctic dagger. Q  
3/12/12 4.34pm

At work. Emergency.  
Arctic dog. Q  
3/12/12 22.45pm

Shit. Got code confused.  
Arctic gun. Also realised  
I should have text before  
I set off. Sorry. Q  
3/12/12 23.04pm

Home. V tired. Q  
4/12/12 3.56am

England gold. Fucking  
code. Q  
4/12/12 3.58am

Day off? J  
5/12/12 8.55am

Got up late. In car now.  
Body clocks fucked   
after other night. Q  
5/12/12 8.57am

At work. Morocco sabre.  
You been busy? Q  
5/12/12 9.14am

Situations been... Delicate.  
At the hotel all day today. J  
5/12/12 9.22am

Any closer? Q  
5/12/12 9.43am

Not really. Tonight's quite  
important. J  
5/12/12 10.12am

Good luck then. Q  
5/12/12 10.32am

I won't need it. J  
5/12/12 10.34am

Watch it, 007. Your  
ego is showing. Q  
5/12/12 10.42am

Nothing wrong with having  
confidence in my abilities. J  
5/12/12 11.05am

Speaking of abilities,  
or abilities that you lack.   
How is my equipment  
doing? Q  
5/12/12 11.34am

All safe. Earpiece might  
be accidentally misplaced  
soon. J  
5/12/12 11.53am

Mercer? Q  
5/12/12 12.16pm

Mercer. He panics too  
much. J  
5/12/12 12.34pm

Give him a chance. He  
might be a bit of a worry  
wart but he's new and  
you have a reputation. Q  
5/12/12 13.54pm

Reputation? I don't know  
what you mean. J  
5/12/12 14.17pm

That made me LOL  
in a meeting with M!  
He wasn't best pleased  
with me. I should stop  
texting. Q  
5/12/12 15.02pm

Just you and M? J  
5/12/12 15.03pm

Like he'd dare defy  
his most dangerous   
agents demands. Eve  
was there too. And before  
You even think it no other  
Alphas have been alone  
with me. All the 00 agents  
have been bringing Tanner  
with them to Q-Branch. I  
don't even want to know  
what you threatened them  
with. Q  
5/12/12 15.13pm

At home. Morocco laser.   
Good luck. Q  
5/12/12 18.47pm

At work. France treaty. Q  
6/12/12 8.36am

Home. France war. Q  
6/12/12 19.34pm

At work. Italy paint. Q  
7/12/12 8.45am

Home. Italy wallpaper. Q  
7/12/12 17.54pm

Going Christmas shopping  
as I've got to get my Secret  
Santa. Office Christmas   
party next week. Do the  
00 agents do a Secret   
Santa? Q  
8/12/12 10.23am

Home. Russia rain.  
Shopping success. Q  
8/12/12 14.48pm

No we don't do a Secret  
Santa and if that was an  
invite to your Christmas   
party then I accept. J  
8/12/12 15.12pm

Well it wasn't a invite  
asI just assumed you  
would be there. Q  
8/12/12 15.24pm

I'll be home soon. J  
8/12/12 23.43pm

You woke me up.  
Again. Q  
8/12/12 23.46pm

Sorry. Just got in. J  
8/12/12 23.53pm

At work. Spain foot.  
Just walked past   
Mercers desk. He looks  
stressed. I hope that isn't   
your doing. Q  
9/12/12 8.34am

Send him a virus from me  
will you? J  
9/12/12 8.43am

That would be an act of  
terrorism you know? Q  
9/12/12 8.47am

Mercers just told me   
you've been AWOL for  
43mins. I hope you haven't  
damaged any of my   
equipment? Q  
9/12/12 10.23am

Headsets beyond repair  
I fear. J  
9/12/12 11.54am

I've perfected the new  
modal while you've been  
gone anyway. Q  
9/12/12 12.13pm

Tell Mercer I'm heading  
back to HQ. J  
9/12/12 15.26pm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I'm no Q. Took me ages to work out how to work the HTML code for this chap! Still not exactly how I wanted it to look! :( oh well!


	7. The Return of the Bond

When Q received the last text from Bond, he was already at Mercers desk trying to help the man locate his Alpha by hacking into CCTV cameras located in the area that agent was last known to be. The man was completely off the grid. When he read the text, his shoulders sagged a little bit with relief.

"He's on his way back," Q told Mercer, stepping away from the man’s desk. 

"You found him? How?" the sandy haired beta cried, peering at his computer screen, trying to spot Bonds tracker on the map that Q had been studying; a map that Q certainly wasn't going to admit hacking into a couple of times over the last 10 days.

"He texted me," Q told the man, dead panned, and giving a little wave of his phone.

"Oh." Mercer looked as though he wanted to say something else but held his tongue.

"Well, I'll be going then." Q turned on his heel and headed back to Q-branch. It was silly to feel the way he did, but the Omega couldn't quite help it. He knew before today that Bond was probably going to go in for the kill and would be coming home, but to have the man confirm it himself was something else. 

It was business as usual at Q-branch but its Quartermaster couldn't quite concentrate. He was contemplating going to M's office to see if he could catch Bond before his debriefing, but that would be a bit ridiculous; wouldn't it? These Omega thoughts were so very confusing. He'd just spent 10 days without his Alpha... What would an extra half an hour do? He plugged in the latest USB stick he was supposed to be analysing when he heard the door to Q-branch open followed by a collective murmur from the staff. Q looked up from his screen slowly, knowing what he was going to see. Bond. A very battered and bruised James Bond. The man stormed into his office sporting a swollen eye with a small nick underneath probably from a ring that whoever had hit him was wearing. His left sleeve was soaked with blood and his right arm was clutching at his chest.

"What are you doing here, you should be in medical!" Q cried, coming around the desk to meet Bond. He reached out to the man but then thought better of it, as he wasn't sure where his injuries where.

"I wanted to make sure you where alright before M locks me away with paperwork for the rest of the day." Q-branch’s doors were flung open again, admitting one of MI6's doctors, two nurses, M, Tanner, and Mercer. "Already? I thought I'd been a bit more inconspicuous than that."

Q stifled a giggle at Bonds dry wit and couldn't hold back a smirk when Bond was pushed down into a chair. "Where are you hurt, Bond?"

Bond batted the doctor away. "There’s nothing you can do for me. I've two cracked ribs, a cut on my left arm not deep enough for stitches, and a soon-to-be black eye. Just give me some painkillers and go back to whatever it is you do all day."

"James!" Q admonished. 

"007, these people are here to help." Mercer looked as though he was going to continue when Bond cut him off.

"I'm fine!" Bond stood up, pushing the doctor who was trying to take off his shirt to examine where the blood was coming from. He moved towards Q and stupidly the Doctor moved to follow. Q was flung behind a growling Bond's back before he knew it and M was throwing the young Doctor out of his office.

"Are you a complete idiot? They're newly mated and have been separated for 10 days. Did you even go to medical school?" The doctor paled and averted his eyes away from Bond and Q as a sign of surrender. "Get out of here." The doctor didn't need to be told twice but even after he'd left Q-Branch, 007 kept Q held behind him. 

M sighed and rubbed his face. "Q, take him home and calm him down; I want you both fit to return to work in four days. You two." M nodded to the nurses. "Get 007 some painkillers." The two girls scampered off, clearly happy to be dismissed from the situation.

"What about the paperwork, Sir?" Mercer asked from where he was stood behind Tanner.

"Email it to Q; he'll make sure Bond has it filled in by 5pm tomorrow." With that, M turned on his heel and stormed through Q-Branch with Tanner and Mercer hot on his heels. "Oh, and Tanner, note this down. If anyone else from MI6 happens to mate then they're let go immediately. I refuse to go through this bollocks again."

"Can he do that?" Q asked Bond when the man finally let him go. 

"No. It's against the law." 

"Come on then. Can you drive?" Q moved from behind his Alpha.

"Of course."

Moneypenny met the pair at their borrowed MI6 car with a box of painkillers and a small basic first aid box. She smirked at them both. "The nurses were too afraid to come themselves. What did you do to them, Bond? M looked frightful when he came back too."

"I didn't do anything," Bond clarified, climbing into the car, leaving Q to deal with Moneypenny.

"Thanks for this." Q waved the painkillers and first aid box at her.

"Go on. I'll email when he calms down." Q nodded and joined James in the car.

When they arrived back at the flat, Q went straight for the kettle but Bond caught his wrist. "Help me?" Q just nodded and followed Bond into his room. He busied himself by collecting some warm water and a cloth while the man took his shirt off; Q couldn't help but blush a little when he returned to find Bond shirtless and waiting for him. 

He washed the blood off Bond’s arm and dressed the wound. The cut was probably deep enough for stitches but Q was no doctor, so he settled with the butterfly stitches he had found in the first aid box. He cleaned off the nick under the man eye too with an antiseptic wipe. He felt Bonds hand creep to the back of his neck but chose to ignore it, though when he tried to pull away the hand clamped down, stopping him. Their breaths mingled together as Bond pulled Q towards him so that their foreheads rested against each other.

"James," Q pleaded with the Alpha, confused again, not sure if he was pleading for the man to let him go or asking to be kissed. 

"I'm sorry. Would you lie down with me?" Bond pulled away as Q nodded. They both climbed on to the bed, though Q felt terribly awkward, they lay down side by side and Bond took his hand.

"Tell me about your mission." And Bond did; he carried on long after Q had fallen asleep and after he had finished he too fell into the most peaceful sleep that he had had in ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our two favourite guys Christmas may come way before Christmas BTW!


	8. Mishandlings

Bond wasn't awake when the mid-morning winter sun that was streaming into the room woke Q. He fumbled about for his glasses, which seemed to have fallen off his face during the night, finding them under his pillow; thank goodness he hadn't bent them. Q got up to pour himself a glass of water from the kitchen, deciding he’d better get one for Bond too. When he returned to the man’s bedroom, the intense gaze of Bond's steely blue eyes stopped him at the doorway. 

"Here, I thought you might want to take some painkillers when you woke up." Q walked over and placed the glass on the side table, watching as the man took out a couple of the painkillers and popped them in his mouth, but instead of taking them with the water he ground them down with his molars before swallowing. Is that the way real men take painkillers so as not to look wimpy? "Perhaps not, then."

Q’s efforts didn't go to waste though; the blonde drank down the whole glass of water before flopping back down on the bed, flinging an arm over his eyes. "Close the blinds, will you?" His voice was gruff, and even though Q rolled his eyes at the demand, he did as Bond asked. "Come back to bed."

"Are you going to be making demands of me all day, 007?" Q asked as he lay back down, feeling as awkward as he had felt last night.

"Yes." Only a blind man would miss the smirk on the agent’s face.

"We should think about doing your paperwork."

"Paperwork," Bond scoffed. "Bloody waste of time."

"I'll be able to do most of it from what I remember you telling me from last night. You can fill in the blanks." They lay in silence for a couple of minutes; Q staring at the ceiling chancing glances at his Alpha.

"Bond?"

"Mmm?"

"What am I doing in your bed?"

"At the moment you’re lying on top of the duvet talking incessantly to me even though I'm making it quite obvious that I'm trying to sleep."

Q was pretty sure Bond could hear his eyes roll as he let out a sigh before muttering, "Incessant? Bit of an over-exaggeration."

"You're here as I can't be bothered moving and I'd quite like you within my sights for a day or so," Bond informed him, choosing to ignore Q's comment.

"That’s a... reasonable explanation."

"Q?"

"Yes, Bond."

"Go back to sleep."

*

Later, well around midday, they got up and moved to the living room. Q turned the heating up and Bond brewed the Earl Grey. They settled on the sofa with the teapot on the coffee table keeping warm with a green woollen tea cosy. They were seated at opposite ends of the sofa; Bond on his phone and Q writing up the man’s mission report with occasional input from the agent himself. "Done. I'll just email this to Mercer then, shall I?" 

"Please do. Then delete my number from his phone."

"He's texted me a few times too."

"Dare I apply the word incessant to his texting." Q laughed then; Bond wasn't one to let something just slide. Once the email was sent Q placed his laptop on the coffee table waiting for the inevitable reply.

"I saw Skyfall, you know, in your file when I was laying the tracks for Silva. It was a beautiful house. I'm sorry you had to blow it up." 

"I'm not." Bond flicked on the telly.

"Bad memories?"

"Memories." 

"I'm still sorry." Q poured himself another cup as Bond’s attention was captured by BBC News. He was beginning to think that the man had a slight obsession with knowing what was going on in the world at all times.

"Is that the sort of place you would like to live?" Bond spared him a thoughtful glance. "We could, if you wanted?"

"Live at Skyfall..."

"Skyfall’s gone. I meant a house like that?"

"In London?" Q frowned. What was the man talking about.

"Outside of London." Bond gave him a sidelong look.

"But what about work? We couldn't live outside London; the commute would be too much if there's an emergency." Q imitated picking up his phone and holding it to his ear. "Hi M. Oh, the Queen’s been kidnapped; how terrible. Yes, your Quartermaster and best double-oh will be there in around 50-90 minutes, depending on traffic." 

"You won't be working when you..." Bond trailed off, frowning at Q.

"When I what?" Q's heart did a little flip, hoping that Bond wasn't suggesting what he thought he was suggesting.

"When you..." Bond was cut off when Q jumped, up spilling his tea on the floor.

"Don't say it." He held his hands up as Bond stood up too. Q felt like a bucket of cold water had just been thrown over his head.

"Q? What’s wrong with you?" The blonde’s frown had taken on a level that Q had never seen before.

"I can't, Bond. I'm not..." He waved his hand about, trying to grasp the word. "Ready! I'm not ready for that."

"You're not?" Bond picked to cup up from the floor. "Sit down."

Q did. He sat down and watched Bond clean the spilt tea up and mulled their discussion over. Bond expected him to quit work? 

"I'm not giving up my career, James." Bond gave him a withering look clearly saying he'd had enough of the conversation. He left the room to take their tea set to the kitchen. Q's blood was boiling. Did he really have any say in any of this?

"I'm going for a shower," Q shouted into the kitchen, before fleeing to his room and slamming the door behind him. Would Bond really make him have children and give up his career to bring them up? 

When Q finally emerged from his room much, much later, Bond was sat patiently waiting for him on the sofa.

"I think we got our wires crossed somewhere." 

"I don't think we did. You want us to move out of London to bring up your children. You want me to give up my career. I know I can't deny you your wishes but it doesn't mean I have to like them." Q stared his Alpha down, red cheeked, and breathing erratically.

"Calm down and shut the hell up for one god damn minute." Q did. Well he didn't have a choice there either, did he. "I thought you were bringing up houses as a way to suggest having children. I didn't realise you where so against it... Omegas want children - it's the way they're programmed. I just wanted to provide for you," Bond reasoned.

"So you’re not going to get me pregnant," Q squeaked uncertainly, sitting down heavily.

"Not if you don't want me to, no." Bond let out a short laugh. "I have to confess that I've never had much desire to sire children."

"Well, that's a relief." It felt as though the tension left him at once and he moulded himself more comfortably on the chair. "You'd expect me to leave work though, if I did have kids?"

"No, of course not. I just assumed that's what you'd want to do. I thought I was telling you what you wanted to hear." Q nodded in understanding. An Alpha would do almost anything to make their Omega happy. He supposed it was actually quite touching that Bond would have children with him just because Q wanted them... Stupid, but touching. 

"And you don't want to move out of London."

"God, no." 

"Oh... Well, good." Q nodded. "Oh, before I forget. The car’s ready to be picked up."

"We'll collect it in the morning." And just like that it was business as usual... Well, apart from Bond climbing into Q's bed later that night with a shrug at the Omega’s questioning look. "I still feel as though another Alpha’s going to climb through your window at any given moment."

"Alright, but if you’re not over it by tomorrow night, you're on the floor."

**END NOTE THAT'S TOO BIG FOR THE END NOTE OPTION.**

>   
>  Q1) In this most recent chapter, it seems to be that Omegas in this universe have been afforded some rights, and at least don't seem to be treated like slaves. Laws exist for fairness in the workplace, such as the illegality of firing someone just because they bonded. Is this fair to say? Are Omegas in this A/B/O universe kind of like women post-suffragette or just pre- or post-feminist movement?
> 
> A) I am going for a post-suffragette (just) feel to my Omegas rights. They have recently got a lot more rights, i.e. Contraceptives, driving, more rights in the work place (though are still often repressed), heat suppressants, and dare I say 'living independently without an Alpha'; yet they are still struggling for equality and to not be controlled by Alphas. I hope Q's thoughts reflected this hence the reoccurring 'fucking Alpha's' comment.
> 
> Omegas are struggling to move on from the pre Omega rights days as too many people still remember the 'good old days' and their teaching and the way that Omegas and Alphas are brought up hasn't changed much. Basically, Alphas still run the world and are trying to stop the Omegas from changing that. Though you'll notice that Q isn't treated badly so to speak; this is because Omegas are precious and respected creatures.
> 
> Q2) That being said, the doctors in Chapter One had the right to take away Q's heat suppression medication, for his own good/health, though against his wishes. Seems fair enough... And they "agreed" to let him keep his birth control. In contrast, there's a line of thought in particular from Q that drew my attention in that first chapter as well, where he considers that if Bond (his mate) asks him for a baby, it's not within his rights to refuse.
> 
> How much autonomy of body does he have as an Omega? He seems to be respected in his position at work, but does what you've mentioned mean there's a difference in the level of what he can refuse the normal people, figures of authority like medical doctors, and his own mate (i.e. like there's a hierarchy with the mate being the one who's got the most rights)?
> 
> A) This is actually quite important but for reasons unknown I haven't gone into it much in the story yet. I think this is because it's important right now that both Q and Bond are fighting their instincts. Bond is trying his best not to go all Alpha on Q and vice versa. Basically, Omegas have to do what their Alpha says; so if Bond told Q to bend over his desk while he fucked him then he would have to do it regardless of who was watching and if he wanted to (not that my Bond is ever going to demand sex from Q if he doesn't want it as he's an honourable Alpha.)
> 
> In regards to the doctors. They are sort of on the Alphas 'side' so to speak, but they sweeten the blow with the use of plurals. 'It's not healthy for a mated couple not to experience Heats together'. No, Alphas love a little Omega in heat so some doctor (probably a fucking Alpha) has said that it's not healthy. With the contraceptives, if Bond wanted a child then Q's doctor would have to respect the Alphas wishes and stop giving him The Pill. Abortion is strictly forbidden for an Omega.
> 
> Any Omega would struggle to refuse anything an Alpha asked of them usually, even if they are not mated. Our Q is a bit of a Lizzie Bennett and is quite strong willed... That's how he's got to such a high position, which is unusual for an Omega. Though if M ordered him to do something he didn't want to, then he would struggle to defy that order unless Bond stepped in to overrule M's order. So yes, an Omega’s mate has all the rights over them but all Alphas have some control.
> 
> Q3) Can Betas have children in this universe, or is it just Omegas? (If so, with whom?) And for Omegas, heats occur bi-annually, but Q had to continuously take suppressants and contraceptives. Can conception only occur during heat, or outside of it as well?
> 
> A) Betas go with Betas. No mating. My betas are just normal people like you and me... So male betas don't get preggers (only females) but you can still have homosexual Betas. That's why Bond doesn't feel Betas are much of a threat; though in the early days of a mating, everyone was a threat. Bond now allows Tanner (a Beta) to accompany other Alphas when they have dealings with Q.
> 
> A simple answer to the heat suppressants/contraceptives question (which I'm not going to go too much into cause there's some surprises ahead) is they aren't very good. A bit like our contraceptives where you take the constantly or have a small break even though we are only fertile two days a month! Conception can only occur when an Alpha knots.
> 
> Guys feel free to ask me what you want!


	9. DB9s and Christmas jumpers

Q loved their new car, not that he was going to admit that to Bond. It was sporty and stylish on the outside and the inside was all leather and buttons... Q loved buttons (and leather). Almost all he thought about for the rest of their leave was what gadgets he could fit out the car with once they were back at headquarters. 

That’s where Bond found him at lunch on their first day back; in the basement car park with the bonnet up and front bumper off the car.

"I hope you're being careful." Q scoffed at that; he was sure that James would have to look up the word 'careful' to explain it.

"Says the man who hardly ever returns MY equipment," Q replied, head still in the bonnet.

"I look after my possessions." Bond’s tone was very serious and Q was sure that he wasn't talking about his material items. "Would you like some help?"

"That would be great actually." So they worked through their lunch making improvements to the DB9. Q found himself a little bit down when Bond stepped out of the lift on the second floor. Was he really starting to enjoy Bond's company that much that he missed it when the man was gone? No, he thought, he had just enjoyed working on the car.

Later that evening it also happened to be Q-Branch’s Christmas party. It wasn't really much of anything, as at least half of the office had to stay sober in case of emergencies. The office space was opened up by moving some of the desks to the sides of the room and Christmas decorations had been put up (though Q had checked all the boxes and everyone's desks to make sure that there was no mistletoe). Other departments put up with bog standard CD players, though not Q-Branch; no, they had a huge sound system which was usually used to broadcast difficult missions to a number of workers but which was now attached to someone’s iPad. One of the interns had managed to turn the bass down too.

Q chuckled to himself when Bond finally walked in an hour after the party had started; he looked very out of place in his tailored grey suit and metallic tie when everyone else had donned their cheesiest Christmas jumpers, jeans, and party hats. Bond sat down in the vacant chair next to Q and reached behind him to get a mini sausage roll from his plate of leftovers from the buffet.

"There's a whole table of food over there." Q nodded towards the buffet table where two of his 'plus size' employees stood.

"Waste not want not." Bond then leaned over taking a sniff out of the plastic cup in Q's hand which contained coke. "You're not drinking?"

"I offered to stay sober for this one. Perhaps next year?" he replied with a shrug. 

"Perhaps it’s best you left the drinking to the professionals." 

"Q? 007?" Eve stood in front of them dressed in a black glittering knee-length dress, which even Q had to admit she looked stunning in. "M wants to see you both."

"Now? Can't it wait until tomorrow?" He glanced around at the party, hoping she would get the message that he didn't want to leave the party early and distance himself more from his employees. All the time off he was having to take wasn't good for the recently appointed, youngest ever Quartermaster in regards to his employees.

"Sorry, Q, it's urgent." He sighed and stood up, feeling Bond do the same beside him. Eve lent forward, placing a hand on Q's shoulder, winking as she said, "I'll keep an eye on things here."; good God, she was going to get them all plastered, wasn't she?

When they arrived at M's office they found the door open with the man sat behind his mahogany desk, frantically pouring over his paperwork. M doesn't look up from the desk when he tells them that he's trying to get through it all before Christmas, then he might be able to spend a few hours with his family. He doesn't look up until Bond tells him that they were told it was urgent.

"Ah, yes. We’ve received some information about the Hackney Hackers." Q rolls his eyes at the name that the hackers have dubbed themselves. It made them sound amateur when they were anything but; they are hard to pin down (apart from that they are operating from somewhere in Hackney) and Q had so far failed in disabling them remotely. "There is a cell operating from a cellar in Hackney that contains the group’s main servers, there's a club next door with a connecting cellar. You are to gain access to the servers and destroy their systems and all their backup files; get a virus in there or something, just make sure you get it all. We don't know who these bastards are, so I want you to make it hard to set themselves back up, which will give us a chance to catch up with them before they do any serious damage."

"Q has to go? He doesn't do field work; he hasn't passed the assessments." Q hated his Alpha in that moment; he wasn't some child who needed his hand holding while crossing the road.

"He's the only person who's going to get pass their firewall; if he can't do it remotely then he'll have to go in himself. You'll be escorting him of course, Bond. If there happens to be anyone there, I want them brought in for questioning."

"I can go myself with an agent, no need to send a Double-Oh, M. I've guided enough operatives through sticky situations to know what to do." The petulant child had reared its ugly head again.

"That's not the same, Q. You haven't even fired a gun before!" The Alpha's voice had risen slightly in exasperation and Q noticed that even M leant back in his chair slightly.

"Of course I've fired a gun before. I'm the bloody Quartermaster! Half of what I do is deal with guns." 

"Testing out a guns shooting range doesn't mean you're going to be able to shoot someone if you need to." Q stepped back at that. Bond was right; he knew how to shoot a target but he had never shot anyone.

M took advantage of Q's silence clearing his throat. "I want them disabled by midnight. Q, the blueprints for the street are in your inbox. Take Bond to armoury on your way to your office and have him choose your weapons; he's more than capable of doing than himself."

"Yes, Sir," Q muttered before storming out of the office, not bothering to see if Bond was following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. Between Christmas prep, new kittens, and work, 00Q got pushed down the waiting list.
> 
> I'm sooo looking forward to the next chapter!
> 
> I called one of my kittens Q! :) My bf deserves Kudos for letting me be such a fan girl! Haha! He even tells me what firewalls and such things are to help me out with this work as I am clueless! He must love me! ;)


	10. Mission with thy Alpha

Bond pulled the car over in a back alley a couple of streets away from the building they were meant to be entering. He reached under his seat and pulled out a black gun case that looked suspiciously small to Q.

“Please don't tell me you've brought a Taurus for me,“ Q said, even as he watched the Double-Oh take out the pocket pistol and load it for him. “I usually assign that particular gun to female agents who need something small to conceal within their dresses.”

“It'll be easier for you to use if you need to.” He paused for a moment before passing it over. “I know M said he wanted prisoners but I want you to promise me you won’t hesitate to shoot.”

Q rolled his eyes at the man. Of course he wouldn't hesitate if some mad man was running towards him with a gun. Obviously an eye roll wasn't the answer Bond was looking for, as he pulled the gun back out of Q's reach. “Promise. Me.”

A command. “I promise.” Bond was obviously pleased with that answer as he handed over the gun which Q quickly put in the holster strapped to his ankle. He checked the blueprints which he had stored on his phone for easy access. “Shall we?” 

James cleared his throat and turned away from Q to get out of the car. It was always a little awkward after Bond had used the hold he had over Q to get what he wanted. Not that it happened often, though it had happened enough times to make Q realise how much power Bond had over him. Bond didn't head off in the direction of the street they needed but to the boot of the car, where he retrieved a black suit jacket which he handed to Q.

Q raised his eyebrows to which James responded to with, “Well, you don't think a high-end London club is going to let you in that cardigan, do you?’

“No, perhaps not.” He swapped his comfy cardigan for the surprisingly well-fitted jacket. “It fits.”

“That’s because it’s your size. I bought it a few weeks ago and I've been waiting for the moment I could trick you out of your cardi.” James smirked at Q, which made it very hard not to be completely immature and stick his tongue out at the Alpha.

“Are you ready?” Q asked instead.

“Yes. Come on, stay behind me and for god’s sake, keep your earpiece in.” Q scoffed at that, remembering the many missions that Bond had 'misplaced' his earpiece during. Q followed Bond to the street they needed and stayed behind a wall while Bond scouted out the area. 

James took his hand, pulling him out and towards the nightclub which was located in the centre of the busy street. “Come on.”

“The hand-holding?”

“One of the bouncers is a Beta and there’s a queue. If we walk in at his side, he's more likely to let us past as he won't want me to think he is thinking lowly on you.” Bond was right. The bouncers unclipped the red rope to let them through as soon as they were close enough to smell for a Beta.

The club was crowded, loud, and smelled faintly of sweat. The sort of place that Q hated to be and had only frequented when it was truly unavoidable. James simply pulled him over to a booth and sat him down before gesturing that he was going to get drinks from the bar. Q took out his phone and began to load up the blueprints of the building.

“Where's the entrance to the cellar?” The Double-Oh's voice drifted into his ear through his ear piece.

“Give me a second." Q quickly worked out where Bond was located in the building in relation to the cellar entrance. "Ah.”

“Ah?” Bond glanced over to try and gage the Quartermaster’s expression.

“Behind the bar. There looks to be a storeroom; can you see it?” Bond made a humming noise, acknowledging that he could in fact see the door. “There seems to be a trap door leading to the cellar in there.”

“Of course there is. No other entrances, I assume.” Bond began to head back to their table with two drinks.

“Negative.” A white wine was placed in front of him and he watched as Bond remained standing but downed his whisky. 

“We need a distraction. Go when I tell you to and I'll meet you down there as soon as I can.” A pained look passed 007's face. “Remember your promise.”

With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Q looked around for a better vantage point near to the bar; he spotted a pillar on the edge of the dance floor and only a couple of metres from the bar. He headed over to it, but before he made it, a scuffle broke out near the bar area at the opposite side to the store room. The staff behind the bar both turned towards it, as well as the bars other patrons, leaving a clear path to the storeroom.

“Q, go.” Bond's slightly breathless voice instructed. Q took a deep breath and ran, placing his hands on the bar surface and jumping over. He dropped to the floor once he was over it, glanced up to make sure no one had noticed him, then dived through the open storeroom door, yanking the trap door open and taking the steps into the cellar two at a time. First, he checked that there was definitely no one around, and then he caught his breath. Adrenaline. It pumped though his veins, making his limbs shake; how did agents manage to finish their missions mostly intact with all this pumping through them.

“I'm in the cellar. How long?”

“Five minutes. Need to shake off these bouncers.” The man's voice was quiet, but Q could hear a definite echo. 

“Are you hiding in the toilet?”

“Yes. Just until the bouncers return to their posts and I can sneak into the cellar.” Q listened while working out which way he had to go. It was actually quite complicated as this was an old London wine cellar. Plenty of twists, turns, pillars, and solid walls which kept the Thames at bay. He took out a small spray canister from his pants pocket and sprayed the bottom of his shoes. A simple liquid which contained a high concentration of chlorophyll, which meant his footsteps would glow blood red under a UV light. Luckily, one of the gadgets that Q had added to Bond’s phone was a UV light.

“Follow my footprints using the UV light on your phone when you get down here,” Q told Bond, heading off in the direction the blueprints where showing him.

“You are a clever boy, aren't you, Q?”

“I try.”

There was nothing but silence for the rest of Q's walk through the maze of a cellar and he sighed in relief when he heard the familiar buzz of a server through a doorway straight in front of him. He took out his gun before going any further, holding it out in front of him, aiming as he entered the room. When he had assured himself that there was no one there, he put his arms to the side of him, racing toward a computer which was attached to a huge wall-to-floor server, which stretched across the whole five-metre wall. God, what ten of these things could do in the wrong hands. Q knew he needed to be thorough in wiping this computer, and any of the others he could gain access to.

“I'm at the server. No one here. I'm going to begin to take down the firewall.” Bond didn't answer for a while but the music had gotten louder again, so Q assumed he must be back in the clubs main room.

“Stay alert.”

“Of course.”

As Q began to take down the firewall, he listened out to hear what was going on at Bond’s end; he could hear that the man was finally in the cellar and on his way. It wasn't long until he heard approaching footsteps and it took Q only a couple of seconds to realise they were out of sync with the ones he could hear in his earpiece. He reached for the gun and flipped round in the chair but it was too late – the man had already spotted Q and had his finger on the trigger while he hadn't even aimed his gun yet. 

Bang. Bang. Two shots echoed through the cellar.

He closed his eyes, expecting to feel the bite of bullets enter his chest, but it never came. When he opened his eyes he found the man in front of him clutching his chest with his mouth open slightly in shock. He fell to his knees before his head hit the ground with a painful crack. That’s when Q saw James Bond. Gun still aimed and stony look on his face.

Their gazes locked over the dying man. “I didn't hesitate, he was just quicker.”

“I know. Now finished the job before more of them turn up.” Q turned back to the computer, frantically typing in the lines of code.

“Okay, I've just got to send this virus out to all the other computers attached to this one and then start to wipe the thing completely.” He heard the unmistakable snap of a neck and knew that Bond had put the guy out of his misery. It surprised him that he didn't feel anything; it was just... business. “Are they using the club to enter this place?”

“No. The other entrances are blocked off but there is a large enough hall in the wall a couple of rooms back, which suggests they have been using the sewers to get in here,” Bond told him, dragging the man’s body to the other side of the room and laying it against the brick wall, checking the pockets. "No identification."

“It's so simple it's brilliant. There must be hundreds of unused cellars in London that can be accessed via the sewers. Not very good for the foundations, though.” He entered the last line of code, moving back with a satisfied sigh as he watched the computer begin to wipe itsself. “Show me to this sewer, then.”

A quick glance of a map and Q had them through the sewers and out of a manhole not 50 yards away from where their car was parked in no time. He dialled M's number as he climbed into the passenger seat.

“Mission accomplished?”

“Yes, sir. One fatality. No other suspects. Though we have learnt that they are using the sewers to gain access to disused cellars.” Bond pulled out of the alley as Q reported the outcome of their mission to M while simultaneously composing an email on his iPad.

“The body?”

“Emailing a map and instructions of how to gain access to the body to the clean-up team as we speak.“ 

“Very well. I'll see you both tomorrow at...” He paused, and Q imagined he was checking his diary to see when he could fit the pair of them in for a debrief. “11am.”

“We'll see you then,” Q confirmed before terminating the call. He looked at Bond, realising the man was frowning. “Thank you.”

“What for?“ James voice was gruff and sounded irritated. 

“Shooting that man before he shot me.” Q didn't think he really needed to clarify.

“I'd take a bullet for you; I am your Alpha and that’s my job. You don't need to thank me for saving your life.”

Q stayed quiet for the rest of their journey home. He didn't even complain when Bond climbed into bed with him smelling of whisky and cigarettes a couple of hours after Q himself had tried to get to sleep. And Q definitely didn't say anything when he felt the soft kiss that Bond placed on his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just getting my life back on track after the busiest Christmas of my life! Thanks for all your lovely comments about my kittens... They're a handful but I love them. I'm in half the mind to give Q a kitten for Christmas I just can't make my mind up.
> 
> I wrote this chapter while drinking out of the "Q" mug my BF got me... He knows me so well.
> 
> May get out a short Crimbo chap tonight or perhaps I'll give you a long Christmas and New Year chapter tomorrow night instead.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and love!


	11. Christmas!

Life was normal for a few days after the mission. They attended the debriefing together and Q filed a report and Bond returned their guns to the armoury. To Q's relief, he also returned to his own bed.

He was working late on the Monday when Bond returned to Q-Branch for the fifth time. “Go home. I'll get a taxi when I'm finished.”

“I don't believe you,” Bond said, leaning in his office doorway watching Q typing frantically. “You know it's already past 11?”

“Two minutes past is hardly past 11, Bond.” Q rolled his eyes at the man.

“It's Christmas Eve, Q.”

“And tomorrow is Christmas Day, which the both of us have managed to be rota'd off for.” He sighed. “Ten minutes, I promise. I just want to make sure that the security system is tip-top for tomorrow.”

“Can I trust you to actually leave your office in ten minutes if I go and wait in the car?”

“I'll see you in ten,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

He made it down to the car at a quarter-to-midnight to find Bond dozing in the driver’s seat. The man woke up when Q climbed into the passenger seat fixing him with bloodshot eyes. 

“You were tired? Why didn't you say?” Q felt terribly guilty as at the end of the day, 007's job was a lot more physically demanding than his own.

“You'd just insist I go home without you. I prefer to wait,” Bond told him as he put the car into gear and pulled out of their parking space.

“I could have got home on my own.”

“There’s no point in that when I'm here to take you.”

Q agreed to disagree.

*

Q woke up to the smell of cooking bacon. He reached to the side for his glasses, checking the clock to realise it was only 0805. What was Bond doing up so early? He groaned as he climbed out of his bed, fastening his dressing gown whilst simultaneously opening his bedroom door.

"James, it's eight o'clock in the morning and we're on day off," he informed Bond as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, knocking his glasses off in the process, which of course his Alpha caught as he was just that amazing even at this time in the morning. God, the man infuriated him.

"Merry Christmas, Q. I made breakfast." Q just sort of stared at Bond as the man put his glasses back on his face for him.

"Is there something wrong with you?" He fell into the chair which Bond pulled out for him.

"No," the blonde answered while serving the bacon and eggs Benedict. What the hell was up with the man? Why was he trying so hard and acting so completely out of character? Then it hit him. 

"Oh my god! You read my file!" He jumped from his seat and pointed a finger at Bond.

"What?" 

"Don't even try your secret agent crap on me; I've listened in on enough of your missions to know exactly what you’re doing," Q cried, taking another step back.

"Alright, I read your file, but don't even try and pretend you haven't read mine," Bond accused, pointing the spatula at Q.

"Bond, it's my job to read your file and before you say it, I didn't read anything I didn't need to know out of respect for you." 

Bond was silent for a moment, and Q knew he was trying to decide whether he was telling the truth or not. "I'm sorry. In my defence, I read your file before any of this; I like to know I can trust my Quartermasters." 

Q could accept that. Bond wasn't the most trusting person. "And all of this?"

"To help you forget."

Q nodded. "Alright. I accept."

"You accept?" 

"Your explanation. Just don't expect me to be happy." As Q tucked into his breakfast, he couldn't help the little smile that curled the corner of his lips. This was possibly one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him.

At around 10am there was a knock at the door. "Are you expecting someone?" he asked Bond. The man shook his head and went to look through the spy hole.

"It's one of your interns." And sure enough when Bond opened the door, Timothy, his newest intern stood there looking very awkward and out of place.

"What is it? Do you need me to come in to the office?" Q asked, moving in front of James. 

"No, Sir, Miss Moneypenny sent me with a gift for you both." He heard Bond scoff at that as the young man reached to the side of the door and carefully passed a large round box over to Q and then another one to Bond. When Q looked up to thank Timothy, the boy had already gone. 

Then the box moved. 

"Please tell me she hasn't," Bond pleaded, pulling out a packet of kitten food from his own box. Q placed his box on the floor and pulled off the top to find a small, brown, and extremely fluffy kitten. 

"She has." Q reached into the box and picked up the kitten to show to Bond, who paled a little when he saw the animal. He noticed a note at the bottom of the box. "’Dear 007 & Q. Merry Christmas. Have fun. Eve.’ What does she think she's playing at; I don't want a cat!"

"We'll take it back to her tomorrow," Bond told him with a sense of finality, but as he said it the little kitten, sensing that he clearly wasn't loveable enough, snuggled into Q's chest and he knew there was only a slim chance he wasn't going to keep it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me so long. 
> 
> Do I give Q a back story or don't I?
> 
> Then I just hated it in the end but posting it anyway as I'm so tired and can't work on it anymore! 00Qmas is sooooo hard to write!
> 
> Happy New year if I don't post before! ;)


	12. New Years

By noon on Boxing Day, Q was very much in love with the kitten. He had a feeling Bond was quite taken with him (a quick Google search helped Q define the sex) too, having caught him feeding the mite the kitten milk that had come in the box when he thought Q was still in the shower.  


At the moment, Bond was at MI6 being briefed about some new information regarding an intel mission he was due to leave for in a couple of days. Q should be catching up on some work himself but he found himself unable to stop playing with the kitten when it demanded his attention; which was most of the time.  


“Shall we take this fellow back to Moneypenny, then? I'm sure she'll find a new home for him.” Q jumped and whipped his head up to look at Bond, who stood in the doorway.  


“You scared me,” Q whispered accusingly.  


“I do apologise." That didn't sound like much of an apology to Q. "So the kitten? Shall I get his stuff together?” Bond gestured to the numerous toys that had been scattered around the living area. Q couldn't help but pout a little.  


“Q?”  


“Yes, James?”  


“Keep the bloody kitten.” He frowned a little. “You obviously want to. I'm not going to make you give it away.”  


“You don't mind me keeping him?” Q asked, trying to gage Bond’s reaction.  


“Of course not. Whatever keeps you off that laptop for any length of time can only be a good thing.” He couldn't help but laugh a little.  


“Alright, then I suppose I better think of a name for you,” he told the kitten, who happily pounced on Bond’s expensive leather shoes as he walked by. A pained look passed over the man’s face as he looked down to see the sharp claws deeply embedded in his shoe.  


“How about ‘Crockett’?” Bond suggested, while prizing the kitten off his foot.  


“Crockett?” Q asked, puzzled.  


“Well, these are my best pair of Crockett & Jones shoes, and he does seem to have taken a liking to them,” he told him while passing the kitten back over to Q.  


“Crockett Jones. That has a nice ring to it.” He lifted the kitten up so he could look him in the eye. “Hello, Crockett.”  
He looked up to find Bond smiling at him. "What?"  


"Just you with the kitten. It's nice," he said with a shrug, walking into the kitchen and putting the kettle on. "Tea?"  


"Please."  


*  


New Years Eve and Q was working; well he finished at 5pm. Bond had been away on his mission for three days now. It was lunch time and he was about to go and bother Eve, as he hadn't seen her since before Christmas, when his phone rang.  


“Q,” he answered.  


“It's me.” James' voice drifted down the phone.  


“James? What’s wrong? I thought I'd texted you?” Q said thinking back to this morning and trying to remember whether he really had texted the Alpha to let him know he had got to work alright.  


“You did. I just rang to see if everything was fine at HQ. You know what intel gathering’s like; hardly anyone contacts you.” Well, that was a bit of a lie, as Q had overheard Bond’s handler on the phone with the agent not more than an hour ago.  


“Everything's fine. We're all plodding along as usual.”  


“And you're okay?” Q heard a hint of uncertainty in the tone.  


“I'm fine. Crockett's keeping me up at night still, but I think once he gets in a bit of a routine he'll grow out of it.” Bond hummed in agreement. “How's the mission?”  


“Boring. I don't think this is the guy we want, to be honest. All he does is sleep and watch TV.” Q knew from experience that Double-ohs hated intel missions.  


“Perhaps he'll go out tonight, so then at least you can spend New Year’s out in Paris.” Always look on the bright side, eh, Q?  


“I doubt that. He hasn't left the flat since I got here. I swear I'll be having a good talk with whoever said this guy was dangerous.”  


“Bond, I know you know damn well that someone can do as much damage from their living room as they can in Buckingham Palace,” Q admonished while hacking into Bond's handler’s PC and bringing up the file on the suspect. Suspected terrorist using home PC to gain supporters and plot against the British Government.  


“He hasn't even used his PC for anything but porn in three days. Surely a terrorist attack takes more organising that this?” Bond questioned, a tone of frustration entering his voice.  


“I'm sure they'll pull you out soon if he doesn't do anything. I take it you haven't been able to bug his flat, then?” Q knew he hadn't; he was reading the mission report.  


“No. If he gets drunk tonight I'm going to do it then.”  


“Good.” If Bond managed to bug the flat, MI6 would bring him home; a few cameras and mics were harder to discover that a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Double-oh.  


“Go to lunch, Q.”  


“Well, I'd have gone a lot sooner if someone wasn't holding me up.”  


“Goodbye, Q.” And then Bond hung up, leaving Q with a small smile on his face.  


*  


Q spotted the broadly smiling Moneypenny almost immediately on entering the canteen. He helped himself to a jacket potato and beans and went to join her at the table she had obviously intended for them to sit at together.  


“So, how was your Christmas, Q?” Her smile turned into a smirk.  


“It was okay. I have to talk to you about the cat, though.”  


“Don't bother. James already told me how much you love the little guy.”  


“Well, yes I suppose that’s true, but why a cat?”  


“You work too much. You both do, really. A cat will get you home more and distract you while you’re there. A job isn't everything, Q. Besides, my cat had a litter and I was struggling to find a home for that one.”  


“So you thought, ‘Q's a bit of a soft touch I'll bet he'll take in the runt of the litter’.” That was a bit harsh; Crockett wasn't a runt.  


“I'd had you in mind for one for a few weeks. You look like a cat person." She gave him the once over while he repeated; "A cat person?" under his breath.  


"Bond says you’re not on your laptop as much.”  


“Yes, well, Bond should learn to keep his mouth shut.”  


“Have you named him?”  


“James has, actually. Crockett.”  


“James named him? Well, that is a turn-up for the books. What you doing tonight?” It was hard to keep up with Eve's train of thought.  


“Playing computer games, probably.” He shrugged; what else would one do?  


“On New Year’s Eve?” One of her eyebrows was up.  


“On New Year’s Eve, yes.”  


“Come out to an Omega club with me. Get drunk for once.” Was she asking MI6's Quartermaster out for New Year’s? Q thought she might have been... Was this pity?  


“I shouldn't.”  


“Of course you should. I'll text James myself to tell him you'll be with me.”  


“Eve...”  


“Q. Don't argue.”  


“What about your Alpha?” Moneypenny had mentioned that she did in fact have an Alpha, but she never much talked about him and she didn't seem restricted by him in anyway.  


“He's away. And while he's out of town I hit the Omega clubs.”  


“I'm not sure...” Q hated clubs. He really did.  


“Have you ever been to a club before?” Her eyebrows raised up a little.  


“Of course. I did have a life before MI6.” Why did people always assume he was a bit of a recluse?  


“But have you ever been to an Omega club before?” She has him there. Omega clubs where ones that catered to mated Omegas. Well, they were the only sort of club that Omegas were generally allowed to go without their Alphas. They were run, staffed, and attended to by only bonded Omegas. “I’m taking your silence as a no. How do you know you won't like it?”  


“I don't, I suppose.” Q rolled his eyes.  


“So you'll come, then?”  


“I don't have a choice, do I?”  


“No, you don't. I'll pick you up in a taxi at 8pm.” She winked at him, picked up her tray, and left him to contemplate what the hell he was going to wear.  
It was less than an hour before he received a text from Bond.  
Moneypenny's told me she's taking you out. J  
31/12/12 13.21pm  
Yes. She’s forcing me. Q  
31/12/12 13.27pm  
She promised to look after you. J  
31/12/12 13.35pm  
It's an Omega club. Q  
31/12/12 13.42pm  
I know. I want you to keep in contact with me still.  
Even if it is an Omega club. J  
31/12/12 13.46pm  
Of course. Q  
31/12/12 13.57pm  
Every hour. Have fun. J  
31/12/12 14.03pm  
If that's what you want. Q  
31/12/12 14.13pm  


*  


“You look fab.” He had gone for the suit jacket Bond had given him with a dark green shirt and black pants. “Bond get you that?”  


“Perhaps.” He didn't miss Moneypenny's smirk.  


The club was only a ten minute taxi journey from his flat. They clambered out of the cab (Q helping Moneypenny out of the cab gracefully) and walked straight through the doors of the club. The club was actually nice. The dance floor didn't look too crowded, the wait at the bar was short, and the music wasn't so loud that you couldn't think.  


“Not as bad as you thought?” Eve asked him, with a satisfied look on her face. Q just rolled his eyes.  


It wasn't more than five minutes before they where sat down at a table with drinks. “You've texted Bond, right?”  


“Yes. He'd told me to have fun but text him every hour; he hasn't asked you to text him every hour too, has he?" Q had the urge to roll his eyes again but he was pretty sure he had done it enough for one day.  


“No, he hasn't. I'll remind you to text him, though. I don't want to get on the wrong side of Bond's Alpha.” Q laughed at that mental picture.  


“He can be pretty scary, can't he?” He thought back to all the times Bond had almost lost control because of him.  


“He's a good Alpha, you know; you're very lucky.” Q just took a sip of his drink. “He'll make a good father.”  


That made him spit his drink out. “God, no! We don't want that. We made an agreement. Has he said something to you?” It must be comical how wide his eyes are, he thought.  


“No, he hasn't; don't worry." She sighed, swilling her wine in the glass before taking a gulp. "You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the idea of kids though. I thought I didn't want any, I thought it was the worst thing in the world, and then I got pregnant.” She gave him a sad smile before glancing to the dance floor and then continuing. “Eight years ago. Before MI6. I'm sure you've read my file and you know I was with the police. Jonathan and I mated when I was just 22, he's 10 years older, I was investigating a burglary at his house and we just clicked. We dated for a couple of months before my heat came around, but by then I knew he was the one so I let him mate with me. He's a business consultant so he works away a lot, but that’s never bothered me. Children seemed like the worst idea in the world to me, and Jonathan wanted to concentrate on his career, so we were careful."  


took a bigger gulp of her wine. "Not careful enough though, as two years later I was pregnant. It took me the whole of two seconds to realise that I was being silly and I wanted a child. Then I got shot. Routine patrol gone wrong. I lost the baby and the ability to have children that day.” She finished her story and Q reached over to take hold of her hand.  


“I'm sorry,” Q told her sincerely.  
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It happened. I'm happy now.” She smiled a wicked smile at him. “Now, let’s get drunk.”  


*

Q stumbled into his flat past 3am. Closing the door and locking it, he reached into his pocket to grab his phone to text James.  


"Don't bother. I know you got home safe,"  


Q jumped around, hand on his chest to calm himself. "James!"  


"Q," he said in greeting, and offered up a second tumbler with what looked like whiskey in. "Care to salute the New Year with me?"  


"I thought you were in Paris?" he asked, confused even as he accepted the tumbler from the man.  


"I was. Suspect’s dead."  


"What!?" Not another one.  


"Nothing to do with me," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Heart attack, I think. I thought he was sleeping so I went over there to bug the flat, and that’s when I realised he was dead."  


"What did you do?"  


"Took his computer and took the jet back to London; landed an hour ago. The computer’s waiting for you in your office." Just then Crockett trotted happily out of Q's bedroom meowing.  


"Hello, Crockett." Q reached down to pet him, though Crockett was easily distracted by one of the toys lying on the floor at the other side of the room.  


"I fed him when I got in," Bond told him.  


"You did?"  


"He looked hungry," he said with a shrug.  


"He's always hung--..." Q stopped when an overwhelming feeling of sickness came over him. Bond took the tumbler that Q thrust in his direction with a questioning look and watched as the man ran to the kitchen sink to vomit.  


It wasn't long before he felt fingers combing through his hair and hushing noises being made in his ear to try to calm his panicked breathing. When he finally seemed to have stopped, Q leaned back into Bond’s chest as the man got him a glass of water and swilled out the sink; all with one hand.  


"You alright?" he asked, pulling Q more securely into his chest.  


"I think I'd like to go to bed now," Q told him, and let himself be guided into his bedroom and tucked into bed after his jacket shoes and socks had been taken off.  


"I'll stay in here tonight and make sure you don't choke on your own vomit," Bond told him, leaving no room for argument.  


"Alright." Q was ashamed by how pathetic and weepy he sounded, and so decided to just close his eyes and wait for the world to stop spinning.


	13. The Hangover

"Here," Q half-heard in his semi-conscious state, along with a terribly load scraping noise and the screech of his curtains being pulled open. Then he saw the sunlight, lots of it, making him see red through his closed eyelids. That was painful. "It's almost 10am, Q. Surely you haven't managed to wrangle both Christmas and New Year’s off, have you? Management must be nice."  


"I'm working from home. Close the fucking curtains and leave me alone for another two hours at least, would you?" The last thing he wanted to think about was the shit-load of paperwork he had to complete before he went back to the office tomorrow. Q felt Crockett jump on the bed before trotting over and nonchalantly sitting on his head; Bond’s chuckle was never more annoying than at that moment.  


"I brought you Starbucks." Ah, yes, that’s what the smell was. Good God, his brain was addled this morning. Thankfully though, he heard Bond walk over and take the kitten off his head while he was trying to process whether the Starbucks was worth the pain of sitting up. It wasn't.  


"I'll microwave it later." He burrowed further under the duvet, hoping the Alpha would take the fucking hint.  


"It's Gingerbread Latte." Q heard rather than saw the man fold his arms.  


"In that case, perhaps I will have it now." He reached for the cup, trying to drink it whilst still lying horizontal with his eyes closed. He was actually doing quite well... until he remembered the previous night. He choked down another sip, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. "I vomited."  


"You did," the blond confirmed.  


"I vomited from alcohol," Q repeated.  


"It seems that way, yes."  


"That’s never happened to me before." He never lost control like that. Ever.  


"Welcome to your teens." Bond smirked at him. Fucking Alphas.  


"I feel awful. Why do people do this every weekend?" He snuggled back down into the bed, pulling the covers up over his nose. He watched as Bond leant against his doorframe.  


"It's called having fun. You should try it more." The smirk was still firmly in place and Q was glad he'd pulled the covers right up, as he was pretty sure he was pouting. "Q, go and have a bath. You'll feel better, I promise."  


Q did just that and he did feel much better. Instead of getting dressed, he put on his comfiest pyjamas, though he found that his duvet had disappeared when he reappeared from his bathroom. He headed towards the living area and was about to shout at Bond for tricking him to the bath and then taking his bedding when he noticed the duvet on his sofa and the man stood by the oven. Bond looked up from whatever he was cooking and nodded towards the sofa, so Q went and sat down, pulling the covers over himself. He looked back over to James, who was carrying two plates over. He placed one in Q's lap before sitting down next to Q with his own. On the plate were sausage, bacon, eggs, hash brown, beans, and black pudding.  


"A fry-up?"  


"Well, it's an oven-cooked fry up. The grease will probably make you feel worse." Bond turned the news on and tucked into his own breakfast and Q followed suit. After they were finished, the agent took their plates to be washed and brought over Q's laptop. "You have work to do, right?"  


"Plenty." This was possibly the first time that Q really hadn't wanted to work.  


"Alright. Well, I'll make you a cup of tea and leave you to it. Though be warned, Q, I'm only being nice as this is your first hangover." Bond's smile was quite wide then and Q thought he might just resemble a shark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short. It's only about a third of what it should be but I'm going on my holidays in a couple of hours so I wanted to get something out before I went and I really just can't concentrate as I'm excited/apprehensive!  
> Anyway! Thanks again for all the support - it's overwhelming how nice you’re all being about this story! You don't know how much it means to me... I appreciate it so much that I'm even going to do some writing at the poolside over the next week ;)  
> Next chapter up in approx. 10 days! Much love,  
> Jane Alpha XxX


	14. Flight of the Bumblebees

Q was happy to wake up the next morning to find his head much clearer than it had been the day before, which was good news as there was a French computer that needed analysing. He dressed quickly and ran the brush through his hair a couple of times before brewing himself some Earl Grey and sitting down at the kitchen table with a bowl of Coco Pops. There was some morning chat show on the TV when Q switched it on but he didn't bother turning it over. If he was honest, he was getting pretty sick of the news. The presenters, an Alpha and Omega mated pair, were talking to a Beta man who had fallen in love with an Omega; but their relationship had been disallowed by the Omega's parents and she'd been quickly mated to an Alpha. The Beta argued that people should not be defined by their status but allowed to be with who they wanted to be. The Alpha presenter chipped in by asking the man how he, 'expected to satisfy an Omega in heat', the man held his own and stated that if an unmated Omega could go through a heat on their own then surely they could manage with the help of a Beta. The Omega presenter agreed with that but was quickly cut off by her Alpha mate and just as things were getting interesting, Bond walked in from his morning jog.  


"What’s this tripe?" he asked while turning the TV over to BBC News. Q rolled his eyes and took his now empty dish over to the sink. "That’s okay. I wasn't watching it or anything."  


Bond turned an incredulous stare on him. "That?"  


"Yes, perhaps I'm interested in what happens in our society." He drained his mug and placed that in the sink too. "I'm going to work."  


"Just let me grab the keys," Bond said, heading towards his jacket which was flung on the back of the sofa.  


"No. I'm going to work. You've got a day off, so you are staying here." Bond's mouth opened as if to argue. "Feed Crockett. He's still asleep."  


Q almost got to the door before Bond managed to formulate a sentence. "Are you rebelling?" That stopped Q. To rebel against one’s Alpha was... well it was quite a serious accusation.  


"James, I'm not rebelling, really. I just want a little of my independence back. I can get myself to work; I do it when you’re not around, don't I?" Q placed his hand on the door handle but waited for the man’s response.  


"You'll text when you get to work." It wasn't a request.  


"I always do; I wouldn't disobey you." Bond seemed to like that answer. "So I'll just be off, then?"  


"Take a taxi."  


"What?" The door was halfway open but he was still facing the blond.  


"You'll be late if you take the Tube." He glanced at the clock; so he would. "I have a tenner here; don't let them rip you off."  


He didn't take the money the man was offering him. "I have my own money."  


"I know, but that would mean stopping at a cash machine which you really don't have time for." Q took the ten pound note.  


"Thank you." With a final nod, Q finally left the flat. It would have been easier just to let Bond drive him.  


*  


It was past three and Q hadn't even taken his lunch break yet. The computer was proving difficult to crack. He wasn't even a little bit surprised to see 007 marching through Q-Branch in a grey suit.  


"007," he greeted professionally, when the man opened his office door.  


"M wants to see us." Bond didn't come into his office but stepped to the side, expecting Q to leave through it.  


"Just what I need," he muttered, storming past Bond.  


"Q, anything from the computer?" the man asked before they had even been able to take a seat.  


"Looks like they used a proxy."  


M was silent for a while as he digested the information. "Are you saying that sending 007 to Paris was a waste of time?"  


Q watched as M's cheeks reddened in anger slightly. "Not completely. We got the computer and in a couple of hours I should have traced the location of the source."  


"Alright. Bond, I want you on stand-by to head to whatever location Q gives you." Bond nodded. Satisfied with his agent, M turned to face his Quartermaster.  


"Q, I trust I can leave you in charge of this?"  


"Sir," he said with a nod, standing along with Bond. "I'll inform you when I have a location."  


"Oh, and Bond." James turned back to face M from the doorway. "I suggest you spend the time waiting in the gym and away from Q-Branch; I want Q's full attention on the task at hand."  


Q blushed, feeling the need to tell M that he would have his full attention on the aforementioned task and not be distracted by Bond, but when he opened his mouth to tell him that, his Alpha gave him a sharp look and pushed him out the door with a quick "Yes, Sir."  


Two hours later and he had narrowed the source down to a PC in a block of flats in Glasgow. He sent one of the interns to collect Bond for the mission briefing and busied himself collecting the equipment the agent was going to need before he put a video call through to M. M answered just as Bond entered his office looking freshly showered.  


"You have the location?" M asked, getting straight down to business. The pair looked up at the big screen which was located on Q's back wall.  


"Yes, Sir, Glasgow. Housing block. There may be civilians on site."  


M glanced at something on his desk for a moment before looking back at them. "Proceed."  


"I've chartered a jet to Glasgow. It leaves in forty-five minutes. I could brief Bond in the car on the way to the air field and then..."  


"No, you'll go to Glasgow with Bond and once he's secured the building, I want you to get what you need from that computer. I want to close this file tonight."  


"M. I don't fly." He couldn't get on a plane, not after... No, it just wasn't happening.  


"I need you there, Q. You’re getting on that plane. That's an order." Shit. Q gave a Bond a pleading look but the man shook his head and turned away.  


"I'm sorry, Q, I can't." If Bond wasn't going to overrule M's order, he was fucked.  


"I don't want to hear from you until the jobs done." With that, the screen went black. The pair continued the stare at it for a moment before Q let out a half sob.  


"James, I can't do it." The blonde hushed him, placing a hand on the back of his neck and pulling him into his chest. It was a typical calming technique Alphas used on their Omegas; one that Bond hadn't used on Q before. He was surprised at how much better he felt because of the gesture. After a couple of minutes, the man released him, gently telling him to gather the equipment that they would need.  


They saw Eve on the way out and she expressed her concern for Q's grey complexion but Bond didn't explain, merely pushed his flat key into her hand and asked her to feed Crockett on her way home.  


On their way to the air field, Q had tried to brief Bond on the mission but had failed quite miserably. Bond told him they could worry about the details later. He was a quivering mess when they drove up to the private jet. Bond stopped the car and switched off the engine.  


"Alright. Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to grab our equipment and put it on the plane, then I'm going to come back for you and we'll get on the plane together. Okay?"  


No, he most certainly was not okay! He had a terrible case of the shakes. He watched Bond leave the car with the equipment and enter the jet. He wasn't inside more than a minute before he was heading back towards the park car opening the passenger door and crouching down beside Q, who continued to stare at the aircraft.  


"Q," Bond sighed, pulling his left hand towards him, which had been gripping his thigh. He continued to look straight ahead until he felt a sharp nip on the back of his hand. "I'm sorry," Bond whispered as the Omega turned wide eyes on him.  


"Don't take me on there, please," but even as he was saying it, his body was going limp and he was being pulled into the Double-oh's arms. "James... Ple... Please..." Then the world went black.  


*  


He vaguely remembered being carried down some steps and looking up at the falling snow. Snow hadn't been forecast in London, had it? He was in a car now; had he fallen asleep at work? Had Bond carried him from his desk to the car?  


"Welcome back." He recognised Bond's voice as he opened his eyes. They were driving down a main road that certainly didn't look like London.  


"Where," he coughed a little to try and clear his dry throat, "are we?"  


"Here, take small sips of this," the blond told him, passing him a bottle of water which Q took gratefully. "We’re in Glasgow."  
Glasgow? Why the hell were they in Glasgow? Then it came back to him. The source’s location, M demanding he go with Bond, and a plane. "You drugged me!"  


"Sorry, but I needed you not to be an emotional wreck on this mission. I know that you probably want to hit me right now for betraying you like that, but please, I need you to pull yourself together as we’re about ten minutes from the address you gave me." Pull himself together; he'd just been drugged and put on a plane which had flown them to bloody Scotland. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself.  


"How long was I out?" he asked, pulling his laptop from the back seat.  


"About an hour-and-a-half. Are you feeling okay?" Bond had the decency to look concerned. Q didn't answer him but did send a glare his way. He opened up a satellite video connection and located their car, then panned out to the flat to see if he could find anything that would help Bond.  


"I take it that you've equipped your gun and ear piece?" The man nodded to confirm that he had. "Alright. Well it looks as though you’re in luck. There’s work being done on the building so there's scaffolding up; I think you could get to the flat that way. It's on the fifth floor."  


"I'll secure the flat then come back down for you."  


"No, secure the flat, but then I'll come up on my own." Q grabbed the gun that he had brought for himself, putting it in the front pocket of his laptop bag, ready for when the coast was clear.  


"Up the scaffold?" Bond gave him an incredulous look.  


"Of course not. I'm going to get the code for the front door of the block and walk up the stairs, or I might even take the lift." Q flicked through the blueprints that he'd just downloaded from the local council’s server.  


"And where are you going to get the code for the front door from?" Bond asked as Q turned the red light ahead of them green.  


"You'd be surprised what you can find on Google." Q replied distractedly. "And no, you’re still going up the scaffolding. There’s a choice of two windows to enter through. One looks as though it leads into the main bedroom, the other the bathroom. I'd suggest you go through the bathroom window as that leads straight into the living room and if there's anyone there, it's more likely they'll be in the living room at this time."  


"Got it," he said pulling into a parking space across from building. "Don't move from this car until I tell you." With that, 007 left the car, switching on his earpiece as he ran towards the scaffolding. Q could see from the car the silhouette of someone moving around in the fifth floor flat; he just hoped that they weren't armed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't really know anything about sedation. Did a bit of research, which just confused me even more. The only experience I have is picking my Gran up from day-surgery and her being quite perky even though she'd only been awake for an hour.  
> I'd just like to thank you all again for reading and sticking to this story. The stats for Not the Plan surpassed those of the first 00Q I read, which I thought was pretty amazing... Then, yesterday I found out that it had also surpassed the A/O/B story that first got me hooked on this dynamic! I really can't thank you all enough! Makes me so happy to write for you all.  
> Also, Not the Plan keeps getting longer and longer but I keep thinking of extra things I want to add! I'm now thinking it’s going way over the original 18 chapters! :)


	15. No matter how many blueprints you study...

"I'm nearing the floor."  


"I see you." Q watched Bond use pure upper-body strength to haul himself onto the scaffold on the 5th floor. "Bathroom window’s on the left-hand side. Quiet as you can. Whoever's in there is in the bedroom next door."  


"They have their music on very loud. I'll doubt they'll notice if I used their toilet," Bond quipped, and sure enough, Q could hear the heavy metal playing in the background; bit of a stereotype.  


"How charming, 007," Q replied with an eye-roll, glancing down at his screen to get the pass code for the front door. "You in yet?"  


"Almost," Bond whispered back. He glanced up in time to see the man disappear through the window.  


"I'm coming up. Let me know when it's clear to approach the flat," Q told Bond as he closed up his laptop. He jumped out of the car and headed across the road. He could still hear the heavy metal playing through his earpiece as he punched in the code, slipping through the front door with ease and heading towards where the blueprints indicated the stairs were. The music went dead as he reached the second floor; he stopped walking so as to listen to what was happening inside the flat.  


"Come out. I know you're there," a woman called out to Bond. Fuck.  


"Is she the only target?" Q asked quietly, continuing his journey upstairs when he noticed a couple heading towards the stairwell.  


Tap.  


One tap meant 'yes', two for 'no', and three for 'don't know'. He almost sighed in relief; 007 could take one person.  


"Armed?"  


Tap. Tap. Tap.  


"Find out," Q demanded harshly, just as the woman called out again. It was quiet on the other end and all Q could hear were two pairs of feet. The woman's moving frantically round the flat and Bond’s quieter, more practised footsteps.  


Tap. Armed. God damn it.  


"Try talking her down first. Then engage if she doesn't cooperate." M wanted someone questioned and body bags couldn't talk.  


"Put the gun down. No one needs to get hurt we just want to talk." Bond’s voice was firm yet had a soft edge.  


"I'll keep hold of it, but thanks for the offer." Not as easy as all that, then? "What organisation are you from?"  


Bond didn't say anything and it took a couple of seconds for Q to realise he was waiting for permission to tell her. "Go ahead."  


"MI6." That was followed by a hollow laugh from the woman, which made Q frown and quicken his steps - he was only just reaching the fourth floor.  


"He told me you might come. He also told me what to do if you did."  


"What did he tell you to do?"  


"This." The gunshot rang out loud and clear through the earpiece, soon followed by an explosion that made the stairwell shudder and Q's knees give way. His hands hit the cool stone floor as he released a harsh breath and for a moment there was a deadly silence, only for a moment, before chaos descended on MI6's Quartermaster.  


The fire alarm sounded – a shrill ringing – just before the other residents began exiting their respective flats. Women were screaming, children crying, and men shouting, but all Q could hear was the static in his earpiece. He knew Bond was alive as their bond was still intact, though that didn't mean the man wasn't gravely injured. He was starting to get jostled by people running past him so he climbed to his feet and ran up the last few steps before entering the fifth-floor corridor. He could see the door to the flat, and unfortunately for Q, there was no Double-oh making a quick exit. He pulled off his earpiece, pocketing it knowing that it was useless now. Q fished out his phone, at the same time speed dialling Tanner, who picked up on the second ring.  


"There’s been an explosion," Q told him before the man had even said anything. There was silence for a few seconds before the man answered. "Yes. It's been reported. Emergency services are on their way."  


"Bond’s still in there." He took a step in the direction of the apartment.  


"Get yourself out of there, Q. Wait for the fire crews." Q could hear the man patching the call through to M's office.  


"I'm nearly at the door." He was only about a meter away now. No point turning around when he had already come this far, was there?  


"Q. 007 can look after himself. There maybe someone else in there with him and you are not trained to engage an enemy."  


"I have to." Q was reaching for the door handle now, with his cardigan sleeve pulled over his hand encase the metal was hot.  


"What's happening?" M's voice demanded. Q terminated the phone call, not wanting M to order him to stop.  


He took a deep breath and pushed the door handle down. He took in the devastation in the flat; he could see straight through into the living room from his vantage point in the doorway. The woman was lying on the floor, clearly dead; next to her were the remains of a computer. He moved into the flat, noticing that smoke was beginning to gather on the living room ceiling as furnishing caught fire. Q headed straight for the bathroom, which was the first door on the left, and slipped into it. Bond lay on the floor, clearly having been knocked out from the blast but otherwise looked unharmed. He sunk to his knees beside the man and began shaking him to try and wake him. The blue eyes soon snapped open, alert and taking in his surroundings.  


"What the hell are you doing here?" the agent asked, jumping to his feet, aiming his gun dead ahead.  


"Rescuing you." He'd never felt relief like it to see the man on his feet ready for battle again.  


"We're getting out of here. Suspect’s dead." James grabbed his forearm and started dragging him towards the bathroom door when Q caught a whiff of something through the smoke fumes.  


"There’s a child here."  


"A what!?" the blond almost shouted, giving Q an incredulous look.  


"A child - I can smell them, the bedroom most likely," Q reasoned.  


"I can't smell anything."  


"Of course not. You're an Alpha. Get the child, Bond." The man just nodded, hauling Q out of the bathroom and giving him a push towards the door.  


"Go. Wait for me at the stairs." And with that Bond moved further into the flat. Q wanted to go with him, but that was most definitely an order. He followed the instructions, running out of the flat and back to the stairs. He got there just in time to see Bond exit the flat, carrying a bundled up baby that looked no older than 18 months.  
Once the man reached him, he passed the baby over to Q who automatically rested him against his hip, silently looking for injuries.  


"He seems to be fine. Though I did find crushed-up sleeping pills next to his bottles, which explains why the explosion didn't wake him." Bond the gently pushed him into the stairwell. "Come on. We need to contact M."  


Q walked as quickly as he could down the stairs with the added weight of the baby. Bond stayed behind him the whole way, only sheathing his gun when they exited the building. The fire crew were just arriving as their faces were chilled by the cold night air. Q took in the area as any good MI6 worker should; the street was full of people crying and trying to call their loved ones.  


"We'll stand across the street." Bond told him, nodding across the road. Once they got there, Bond sat him down, and Q pulled the sleeping baby to sit in his lap before pulling out his phone. The agent remained standing, clearly watching the area for suspicious activity. He had five missed calls on his phone, two from Tanner and three from M - as if on cue, his phone buzzed again; M.  


"Q," he answered, trying to keep his voice low, not that anyone else would notice them in all this activity.  


"What the bloody hell is happening?" M was angry.  


"We're out. There was an explosion in the flat," Q told him.  


"Fatalities."  


"The suspect, a woman.”  


“How can a simple mission like this go so bloody wrong.” M's voice rose to a shout at the end of the sentence, making Q hold the phone slightly away from his ear.  


“They were waiting for MI6. They planned the explosion for if they were ever found.”  


“They? I thought there was only a woman?”  


“She spoke of a man telling her what she should do if we happened to turn up. Listen to the recordings; they should have transmitted to the mission file by now.” Fingers crossed if the earpiece hadn't been too damaged, but Q was confident in his equipment’s fail-safes.  


“Alright. We’ll have a team sent out to retrieve the body and anything else in that flat once the situation is under control.” M sounded calmer now.  


“M. There’s something else.” M just grunted and Q took that as a sign that he should continue. “There was a child... _Is a child_. We took him from the flat.”  


“Is he injured?” M asked after a brief pause, probably to digest the information.  


“No, he's asleep. Bond found crushed-up sleeping pills next to his bottles.” Not sure if that was important for M to know, but told him anyway.  


“Drugged?” His voice had gone dangerously quiet and Q could practically hear the profanities that M was calling the baby’s parents. “The suspect’s child?”  


“Most likely, yes.”  


“Excellent.” Q frowned. The child had just lost its mother - there was nothing excellent about it. “Alright. Here’s what I want you to do. Book into a hotel and I'll send a medical team to your room to check you all over. Tomorrow we should have the body and possessions and you and Bond can bring the child down with the clean-up team... I suppose you could travel in a car because I'm not sure Bond can cope with your fear of flying and a child. Find out all you can from your hotel room but I have a hunch that that child is the man’s that the woman spoke of. Perhaps we can lure him out of the woodwork.”  


“Okay.”  


“E-mail me the hotel details and anything you happen to discover. I'll see you at some point tomorrow.” With that, M terminated the call, and Q looked up at Bond who was clearly waiting for their next orders.  


“We need to find a hotel, then M's sending a medical team.” He didn't need to add that there was more as James would know that already and know that this wasn't the place to talk about it.  


"There's a Hilton not far from here," Bond told him, as he helped Q to his feet while trying not to jostle the child. They exited the scene where the police had arrived and were trying to get all the inhabitants’ details. Luckily, no one saw them. When they arrived at the hotel, Bond went inside to book them a room before coming back out and escorting Q and the baby up to a family room. Apparently, the Hilton didn't supply baby cots but what they had done was place a single mattress on the floor between two double beds with a thin yellow sheet on. Q immediately lay the baby down on it so he could sleep more comfortably, and also to free his hands up to e-mail M.  


"What did you tell the hotel?" Q asked.  


"What do you mean?" Bond asked, while peeling his suit jacket off and sitting on the bed nearest the door.  


"Well, surely they thought it was strange for us to be booking into a room with a baby and no luggage?" Q bent down and took a quick peek at the label inside the baby’s top so he could request that the medical team bring supplies with them.  


"Hotels like this don't ask questions... Well, Beta receptionists don't question Alphas anyway." He lay back on the bed and gave a tired sigh. "ETA on the medical team."  


"Erm..." Q stalled while opening up the reply email. "Thirty to forty-five minutes."  


"I wonder if we ordered Chinese, which would be quicker," the blond mused, getting up from the bed and heading to the bathroom.  


"You're weird sometimes, 007," Q told him with a frown, while starting the process of securing the body and flat’s possessions and organising for them to be collected by the clean-up team during the night.  


"I'm going to have a shower. Order some Room Service, will you." With that, the bathroom door clicked shut, and Q was left alone with the sleeping child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me so long... Hate writing action-y chapters scared of missing bits out. Anyway it's done now!
> 
> Thank you to Dawn Phoenix who kindly offered to beta this story. She's done up to chapter 13 so feel free to re-read for English goodness!


	16. Breathing is normal

“He'll be fine,” the kind red-headed medical officer told Q as she passed the now awake baby back to him. “I'm much happier now he's awake. What sort of parents...’ She trailed off, giving Q a grim smile. The sort of parents that MI6 sent a Double-oh after, of course.  


Q juggled the baby uncomfortably, hyperaware of the red-head’s eyes on him, judging his ineptness with children. She gave him a reassuring smile. “You'll need to keep a close eye on him tonight and tomorrow. If he starts having any respiratory problems, call us immediately. I haven't seen any signs of smoke inhalation but you just never know. Better to be safe than sorry.”  


“When you say respiratory...” He sat down on the bed, jiggling the child slightly when he fussed.  


“Wheezing, coughing, anything apart from breathing. Breathing’s quite normal for a baby,” she teased, as she pulled over a black gym bag. “Everything you're going to need is in here. Nappies, bottles, baby food, clothes, dummies - he may not use them, but if he does, it might make things easier - oh, and I've picked up a couple of toys to help you keep him occupied.” Q nodded obediently.  


“Don't look so worried; I'm sure Bond will help you.” She turned towards the blonde, who was sitting by the window, having a cut on the back of his head stitched. “Won't you, 007.”  


“I can't. I've got a concussion.” Though he sent a smirk in Q's direction, which Q took to mean that he would help.  


“I'm sure you'll figure it out between you.” The medic patted Q's arm with what could only be empathy. “He’ll be a little fussy, that’s nothing you’re doing wrong, he just doesn't recognise your scents. It will help with you being a mated Omega though; a mated Omega’s scent has a certain calming quality on youngsters.”  


Q noticed that the other medic had finished with Bond. The agent stood up from his chair, clearly shepherding the medics out. “Q will do what he does best.” The two medics and Q waited to hear what that might be. “He'll Google it. Good evening.” The red-head medic gave him one last reassuring smile before Bond shut the door in their faces.  


“That was rude.”  


“Yes, well, I’d like to get some sleep tonight.” He gathered up the medical supplies that had just been used to stitch him up and took them into the bathroom before Q heard the toilet being flushed. “I take it you have work to do?”  


“Yes. I've secured the release of the body and possessions to us in the morning.” Q moved back against the headboard, shuffling the baby again so he had an arm free to work on the laptop. “The woman who owns the flat is a Doris Newman; she's 82."  


"Not our Woman, then?" Bond said, fixing himself a drink from the mini bar. "Are you monitoring the police reports?"  


"Of course. They've listed her as a Jane Doe." The baby reached up and tried to pry Q's glasses off his face. He gently grasped his hand and moved it away and sighed. "I wish we knew his name."  


"The other suspect?" Bond asked while taking a gulp from his whiskey.  


"No, the baby. He's lost his mother tonight and he'll probably lose his father on terrorism charges. If we don't find out whom his parents are he'll lose his identity, too." As soon as Q reached back towards the laptop, the baby reached up for his glasses again.  


"Like us, you mean?" Q didn't look at Bond. Though he knew the man knew about his childhood, he was quite unwilling to discuss it. He simply hummed in agreement, sighing again when the baby worked his glasses off his face this time, and started banging them on his bed. Bond laughed but put his drink down and sat down on the bed at Q's feet, working the glasses carefully from the chubby hands, which had a surprisingly strong grip on them.  


"I'll change him and keep him occupied while you work." He placed the glasses back on Q's face and motioned for him to pass the babe over. Q did, and watched as Bond set him on his hip, and rummaged around in the bag for a onesie, a clean nappy, and wipes. He pulled his laptop closer and started tapping away to find CCTV from the area surrounding the flat to see if he could get a still of their woman and perhaps identify the male too. Out of the corner if his eye, he watched Bond change the baby with surprising ease. Afterwards, while Q continued to search through CCTV, Bond lay the baby down on the makeshift child-friendly bed, and played with a toy until the child's eyes finally closed.  


"You have many talents, don't you, 007," Q commented, when the man quietly lay back down on his own bed.  


"I had a brother," Bond told him, eyes fixed on the roof. Q hadn't known that. "It's not in my file. A bit of information that was conveniently lost long before I came to MI6. My father worked away a lot, so I used to help my mother with him. He was almost one when they were killed."  
Q thought then of his own siblings, both older, that were most definitely in his file. "Your parents?"  


"Alpha and Omega." It was a common enough question for an Alpha, as the strongest, most powerful ones, were often born from an Alpha/Omega pairing. This in turn meant that Alpha and Omegas born to Beta parents usually mated to other Alpha and Omegas born from Beta parents. "As yours were."  


"It's just strange that you and your brother had such an age gap." Finally, Q found a woman pushing a pram through the front entrance. Capturing a still of her face, he ran it through his face recognition program.  


"As I said, my father was away a lot." Bond closed his eyes. "My mother spent her heats in a refuge." Q felt a pang of sympathy in his chest upon hearing that. Before heat suppressants were made widely available, unmated Omegas, or those in similar situations to Bond’s mother, were forced to spend their heats in seclusion. The refuges had long been branded cruel and the majority of them had been disbanded. Q still heard the occasional horror story about them though.  


"I have our woman, I think." His laptop beeped, indicating that a match had been found. He turned the screen to face Bond, who studied the passport photo that it had brought up intently.  


"That’s her," he confirmed, before getting under the covers.  


"Jacinta Crass, Beta. Occupation, unemployed. Marital status, single. Children, one, a Benjamin Crass. Father listed as unknown." Q sighed and looked down at the sleeping child. "So, this is little Ben."  
Bond gave a bitter laugh. "My brother was called Ben."  


"It's a lovely name." The agent didn't answer. "We should sleep now - we need to leave here in five hours."  


"If it had escaped your notice, I _have __been trying to sleep for the last ten minutes, failing miserably, might I add, due to your incessant talking and your bloody laptop doing its best to light up the whole of Glasgow," the man snapped, causing Q to quickly shut off his laptop and hunker down in the bed. He lay facing away from Bond, trying to breathe as quietly as possible. After a few minutes, there was a rustling of sheets and soft footfalls before the bed dipped behind him. Two muscled arms pulled him against an equally muscular chest, and he felt a nose finding its way into his curls and inhaling deeply. "I'm sorry," was whispered into his unruly mop. "My nerves are shot after your heroics this evening."  
_

"Heroics? For goodness sake, Bond - I only woke you up." The man merely hummed, and Q listened as his breathing eventually evened out, before letting himself sleep, too.  


*  


It turned out that they didn't need the alarm that Q had set for 5am, as Ben woke them up a good hour earlier. Bond tried his best to calm him, as Q made a bottle of warm baby milk, using some sort of powder and warm water from the kettle. Even after he had gulped down the milk, he hadn't settled until Bond had needed the toilet and passed him over to Q. Ben had settled down immediately, burrowing his nose into Q's shoulder. Bond had raised an eyebrow and let out a small laugh before informing him that he should try and calm him first for the rest of the day.  


The body and possessions were collected in an unmarked van, followed by an unmarked Audi with blacked-out windows, which pulled up outside their hotel at 5.45am. They arrived back in London at around 1pm, even with Q controlling the traffic lights on their way down. They had made one service station stop, where they had changed Ben and fed him orange baby food, which had made Q wrinkle his nose in disgust. When Q had strapped the child back in the car seat which had been provided, Bond pulled him back out of the car and sat him in the front passenger seat. This had given him a couple hours shuteye while Bond kept Ben distracted in the back seat. Once parked up in the MI6 parking lot, the agent whom they had travelled down with directed them straight into the lift, pressing the button for the seventh floor before backing out himself, letting the door close. Bond and Q shared a looked, both having similar feelings about M's debriefings. Ben gurgled and wiped a sticky hand on Q's favourite cardigan, just in time for the lift doors to open, revealing Moneypenny and M.  


"My Office. I want to know everything you know." Tanner was already in M's office when they entered; he pulled a seat out for Q, who gave him a nod in thanks, seating Ben in his lap. "Q?"  


"Still haven't identified the male suspect. You received all the information I managed to find on the woman this morning - I'm hoping I can find something from a storage device that's been listed with the possessions."  


M nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think we could get a message around to let this guy know we have his son?"  


"I could do," Q nodded.  


"Good. Well, get on it, then. I want this guy caught." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand, but Q stayed seated.  


"Sir? The child?"  


M frowned at him. "What about him?"  


"Who’s going to look after him?"  


frown deepened then. "Well, I thought you..."  


He was interrupted by both Bond and Q's protests that they couldn't possibly look after a child and continue with the hours that they put in for MI6. Moneypenny laughed at their awkward excuses ( _“MI6 has a crèche, you know”_ ). "Oh for goodness sake, you two; I'll take him."  


And so it was agreed, and little Ben was handed over into the caring arms of Eve. It wasn't for another hour that Q decided that perhaps he missed the little guy a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got Twitter. Add me for updates, recs, and randomness (most likely)! Username: JaneAlpha000 :) :) :)  
> More Beta'd chapters to go up now my internets back up and running! Thanks Dawn Phoenix!


	17. Not just a dodgy Rogan Josh

It wasn't even a week after the Glasgow mission that Q's life was turned upside down again. Ben's father had been caught and questioned - turned out that he was part of the Hackney Hackers (who weren't only operating in Hackney as they had originally thought) - the man had been skulking around MI6 all day Tuesday, looking for his son, before two agents brought him in for suspicious behaviour.  
Bond had been gone for two days, rounding up the other Hackers they had uncovered from all over the UK, and Q was starting to think that perhaps Q-Branch might have a bit of down time after the fall of the hackers. Good news, as he and his minions were run ragged analysing all the computers, laptops, and other devices that Bond was sending back with the prisoners.  


He wasn't feeling his best today - which must have been due to the dodgy takeaway he'd eaten last night - he felt sick, was running a fever, and had a banging headache. He was very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Bond had texted him that morning, letting him know that he would be back at headquarters today, after he'd secured the last person on the list of Hackers. Q was hoping that he might leave early today, go home and cuddle up in bed with a DVD. It was almost midday when the blonde stormed through Q-Branch and into Q's office, slamming the glass door behind him.  


"Careful. That glass isn't bulletproof, you know," Q hissed, while wiping a bead of sweat of his forehead - if he ever saw a Rogan Josh again, it would be too soon.  


"What the hell do you think you’re playing at?" Bond almost shouted, coming round Q's desk and yanking him out of his seat by his wrist.  


"What?" he asked, completely confused by Bond's irrational behaviour.  


"Coming into work like that!" Bond said, as though it were the most obvious statement in the world.  


"I'm fine. Just ate a bad curry." His brows creased in confusion.  


"Q. You're in heat!" The agent did shout at him that time, and all his minions made a quick exit for their lunch break. Fucking wimps.  


"No I'm not," he laughed.  


"It's no laughing matter. I could smell you from down the street." The Alpha was getting more frustrated by the second.  


"Bond, my heat isn't due for another two months yet. I'm just a little under the weather." Q tried to stagger back out of Bond’s grasp and end this silliness, but the man held on tighter.  


"You can be stupid sometimes, Q." He opened his mouth to argue back, but Bond growled before he could get a word in edgeways. "You've come off suppressants after god knows how many years. Surely you know that your heats will be a little messed up before you get into a proper cycle. It's basic Omega knowledge."  
No, Q didn't know that. Though now he thought about it, he may have read that warning on the back of his suppressant at some stage. The symptoms fit, he supposed; though they were a lot milder than his last heat, which he supposed they would be, as that one was a result of him coming off suppressants and this one was a natural heat. Oh... And Bond did smell very good today. He relaxed his arm, which he was still trying to work out of Bond's vice-like grip, with the realisation that he was in heat.  


"Well, this is vexing."  


"Quite."  


The pair of them stared at each other for a moment before Bond let go of him altogether to grab Q's coat from the coat stand, while the Quartermaster quickly packed away his laptop. They left Q-Branch in a whirl of grey and green, jumping into the thankfully empty lift as soon as the doors opened. Bond pressed the 'B' which would take them down to the car park as Q lay his head back against the cold metal, closing his eyes. He laughed at his own stupidity as Bond came to stand next to him.  


"I can be such an idiot." He opened his eyes when he felt the agent's hand on his chin, pulling his face to look at him.  


"I'm sorry for calling you stupid. You're not; I think that much is pretty obvious. I was just..." Bond trailed off, obviously trying to find the right word.  


"Frustrated at my naïveté, perhaps?" The lift shuddered to a jolt, and Q noticed that they were only on the third floor at the same time as Bond, who placed himself in front of his Omega. The doors opened and M walked in, face taking on a surprised look when he found the pair of them in the lift.  


"Bond, I didn't know you were back." He jabbed the button to the seventh floor, turning back to look at his Double-oh. "No matter, saves me having to send Moneypenny to find you later. You might as well come up to my office with..." He stopped, frowned, and stiffed the air before his eyes flew to Q. "Good God, man. Are you in heat?"  


"Apparently so, Sir." Q replied sullenly, dropping his gaze to the floor and moving further behind Bond. M stumbled back against the wall, trying to put as much distance between himself and Bond as possible, and began to frantically press the button for the second floor, clearly eager to make a quick exit.  


"Why the hell is he here, Bond?" he demanded, glancing between the Alpha and the floor gage.  


"He didn't know he was in heat," Q didn’t fail to notice the slight flare of M’s nostrils. He’d clearly recognised Bonds blatant disregard of authority when he didn’t address him as ‘Sir’ as was expected. That usually wouldn’t be tolerated but considering the circumstances...  


"Well for fucks sake, take him home. We can't have bloody Omegas running around the place in heat..." He began to repeatedly press the second floor button again, as though it would make the lift move quicker.  


"I wasn't running around. I was sat at my desk." Idiot man. Did he think he wanted to be here whilst in heat?  


"You know what I mean. For God’s sake! How long does it take these blasted lifts..." The lift shuddered to a stop. "Thank God."  
When the doors opened, he stepped out, turning round a young Beta who was stood waiting patiently with a large box of files and pushing him in the opposite direction.  


"Take the stairs. You'll thank me for it in ten years, when you can still climb them without getting breathless." M started to head towards the stairs as well, but before the lift door closed, he turned back towards the men. 

"Bond. Report to me as soon as... Well, you know... You're done with your... stuff."  
The lift door finally closed and Q sagged in relief. It hurt to have another Alpha in such close proximity when all you wanted was your Alpha.  


"I thought he was going to break his finger with the force that he was pressing that button." The blond moved back to stand next to him giving Q a little more breathing space, not that he was sure if he really wanted it or not.  


"Give him a break. You can be quite intimidating when you want to be," Q laughed though, and made a mental note to download the CCTV from the lift as blackmail material. M wouldn't want everyone MI6 thinking he was scared of his own agents would he?  


"Come on. The quicker we get you home, the better," Bond told him sincerely, once the lift finally stopped on their floor. Q completely agreed with the man; MI6 was no place for him at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a bit of an evil, ending the chapter before the sexiness! Haha! I wanted to give you lot sometime to prepare yourself for sweet, sweet loving, of the 00Q variety!  
> I've been so excited about the 'M in the lift' scene for months! I hope you find it as funny as I did!  
> Thank you to everyone who has already followed me on Twitter! If you haven't, you'll find me if you search Jane Alpha or from my user name: “JaneAlpha000”.  
> I may overuse the 00Q hash tag, if that's possible!  
> Thanks for continuing to comment and Kudos, and everything else you guys are doing! I write every chapter for you lot and I love to hear your thoughts and have in-depth discussions about them!  
> X


	18. Throes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexiness

“How do you feel?“ Bond asked Q as he shut door to their flat.

“Fine. A little hot but not...“ Q trailed off; this wasn't like his last heat. It was creeping up on him very slowly; he didn't need Bond but he knew he soon would.

“Is this your way of telling me that you don't want me to take you to bed... Yet.“ Bond smirked at him much more relaxed since they had made it into the confines of their own home.

“I think so. If thats alright with you?“ He was uncertain of how mated Omegas were supposed to act towards their Alphas while in heat.

“Anything you want, Q. You go into to the bedroom and relax. I'll feed the cat and make some food.“ The blond headed off towards to the kitchen and took out a kitten food sachet as Crockett jumped up on to the counter to make sure Bond notice he was there. Q continued to stand in the doorway and stare at the man. “Q?“

Bond gave him a questioning look which Q shrugged off. He decided to try distracting himself with taking off his coat and laptop bag hanging them on the coat hangers which lined the first half a metre of the flats entrance. He walked into the living room to find Bond rummaging through the cupboards before sighing in resignation. “There's no food.“

“I know.“ Q was a little horrified to hear how hoarse his voice sounded. 

“I don't know how you manage when I'm not here.“ Bond shook his head and walked back around the breakfast island and leant against it, arms folded, eyebrows raised at Q's strange behaviour.

“Fuck this.“ Q muttered before almost running over to his Alpha who was, thankfully, ready to catch him. Q attached his lips to Bond's as the man hoisted him up with his arse allowing him to secure himself with his legs. From this position he could feel the other mans erection, idly, he wondered how long the man had been like that - probably since he had smelt Q's pheromones when he entered MI6. Of course Bond wasn't the only one sporting an impressive erection; Q's own was rubbing deliciously against Bond's through too many layers of material as they continued to kiss. 

“Bedroom?“ The Alpha's voice had dropped a couple of octaves; all Q could do was nod into the kiss. Bond manoeuvred them effortlessly through the flat and into Q's bedroom. He loosened his arms and slowly lowered him to the bed smiling a sharks smile when he whimpered at the loss of contact. “Don't worry I'm not going anywhere.“ 

Bond pulled off his shirt while he moved on to the bed on top of Q. Their mouths connected again as Bond began to unbutton Q trousers. They were soon divested of all their clothes, Bonds hands where drifting towards Q's hole, and Q was panting into the kiss trying not to beg his Alpha for more.

“You're very wet, Q.“ The mans thumb entered the lubricated hole and Q couldn't hold back the scream.

“James. Knot me.“ The blond released a harsh breath over his collarbone which Q thought might have been a growl. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not but he was sure that he could feel the mans cock hovering just outside his opening almost teasing him. Looking up into the intense blue eyes of his mate he realised that he most certainly was being tease. Bonds right hand held his head forcing him to stare into the mans face, while his left hand was behind Q's knee forcing his legs apart. Losing control of himself, Q let out another wanton cry. “Bond.“

This time Bond just grunted driving his hips forward and his penis deep within his omega. He was home. He bent down to bite the brunettes pale exposed neck though Q wasn't sure wether he'd done it to mark his territory or to stop himself crying out in a display of momentary weakness. “Fuck.“ The man finally breathed into his ear, once they had found a steady rhythm, and started to work sucking and kissing every part of Q he could reach. The Omega was please that his Alpha didn't neglect his lips either giving them more attention than any other part of his body.

“James. I'm close.“ Bonds thrust had speed up, each time hitting his prostate, sending small jolts of pleasure through him. His orgasm was building fast. Bond's cock was lengthening inside him with every well placed thrust which had Q crying out in a matter of seconds his essence spurting between them. That pull Bond over the edge too; the man bit down hard on Q as his own orgasm ripped though him. Bond had knotted, Q could tell, they would be stuck together for at least another half an hour.

The Double-oh shifted off him carefully resting on his side bringing Q's leg to rest over his hip in a position, while wasn't comfy, was most certainly preferred to having Bond's entire weight on top of him. Q felt a soft kiss to his forehead after his eyes had closed in post orgasmic bliss, “Sleep for now, Q.“

Who was he to argue with such a pleasing demand?

*

Later. Much later. Bond left him sated and relax while he went out for food. Q decided it was probably a good time to have a bath. That's we're Bond found him when he return; Q's eyes closed letting his muscles relax in a way which they hadn't been able to since his heat had begun. The Alpha sat on the edge of the bath watching his Omega until Q cracked an eye open rewarding him with a small smirk. "Yes?"

"I was just thinking about how lovely you look in this bath." He let his hand brush against Q's already half hard cock and was again rewarded with a delicious little moan. "Although, no matter how good you look dripping wet, I do prefer my Omega smelling of me and not..." He pick up the bubble bath container glancing at the flavour. "Lychee and Ylang Ylang. That's different."

"I was feeling adventurous this month." They stared at each other for a moment before Q looked away to play with some of the bath bubbles glancing up coyly. "And what, Mr Bond, are you going to do about this dreadful scent of mine."

The man just smirked down at him before depositing his jeans on the floor and joining Q in the bath still clad in his shirt and boxers. His mouth fell in to place over Q's which had begun to feel natural over the last few hours; once he pulled away Q couldn't help but admire Bond's muscles which were displayed through the wet white shirt. He ran his hands up the fabric wrinkling the material as he went and then slowly began to undo the buttons. Bond flashed him a smirk moving down to kiss him again. 

 

*

Q's heat slowly faded over the second night until the woke up together on the third morning. Bonds arm was tightly holding Q across the waist. Slowly coming back to consciousness Bond sniffed a couple of times realising that Q's heat was most definitely over. He lay still for a few minutes listening to Q's breathing quicken and feeling him stiffen when he too came back to consciousness. Bond pulled away politely turning to look at Q who was sporting a bright flush on his cheeks. 

"Should I leave?" He asked unsure of the situation himself.

"I think I would prefer it if you did." Bond just nodded and shuffled out of the bed pulling on his boxers which where on the floor to try and conserve what was left of his dignity concerning Q. "Thank you, Bond, for making my heat... Enjoyable." 

James paused in the doorway and turned back to offer Q a small nod accepting the thanks. To be honest it hadn't been all that terrible for Bond either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, sorry, sorry! I've been really ill... Well still am but the medication has taken away the pain putting me back in the 'write' mood. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered in the next month or so! :)
> 
> I'll let you in on a secret... That was my first ever smut scene! Haha! Hope it's not too obvious!


	19. After-heat-math

The rest of their day was spent trying to politely ignore each other and get back into a familiar routine. It felt strange to Q. Afterall, the last couple of days hadn't been a struggle. Finally though, the day was over and with their return to work came their return to normality. 

“I'll walk you to your office,” Bond told him over the beep of the car alarm setting. 

“You don't have to.” Q pulled his coat round him a little tighter, as the chill of the underground car park hit him. 

“I'd like to. Plus, I have an hour to kill before my meeting with M.” Q’s laptop bag was gently removed from his shoulders and onto Bonds before they headed inside MI6 together.

It wasn't even two hours later that he was being summoned to M's office via a terse e-mail from the man himself. Moneypenny’s office was empty when he arrived, though he noticed M's door was slightly ajar. As he approached, he recognised the back of Bond’s head and frowned a little. Things never turned out well when they were in M's office together. He held back a sigh, rapping on the door frame a little harder than was necessary. 

“Get in and close the door.“

Q didn't need telling twice, and even though did as he was told quickly, he couldn’t help but notice how tense Bond’s shoulders were. A tense Bond and a clearly frazzled M was never a healthy combination.

“Don't bother sitting down – this won't take long.“

“Sir,” he acknowledged, looking down at his feet.

“I'd like to know why Bond is refusing to do his job?” Q looked up with a frown, glancing at the back of Bond’s head before turning his gaze on M. “It seems 007 suddenly feels he can’t go to Serbia to serve the Queen and his country, as he can't bear to leave you.”

Q blinked owlishly for a moment. Bond was refusing a mission because of him. “I... I knew nothing of this.”

“Of course you didn't,” M replied sarcastically. “When you mated, I had a decision to make - make one of you leave or let you both stay. I think I've made a grave error of judgement with this one, don't you?”

“That’s enough,” the agent finally responded to M's goading. “Q has nothing to do with this. It's my decision and I will do what is in the best interest of my Omega.”

“You haven't had this problem before.”

“He just had a heat for goodness sake. I can't just up and leave for a month.” Bond stood up, marching over to Q.

He regarded Bond for a moment before turning to M. “May we have a moment outside, sir?” The man waved them off.

“Are you mad? This is your job!” Q rounded on the agent as soon as M's door was shut.

“I'm not mad. You know I can't leave you now. If we lived as a properly mated couple things might be different, but as it is...”

“Are you saying this is my fault?”

“No. God, no. I only meant I'd be more at ease with leaving you if we functioned--”

“I'm going to stop you there, Bond. We don't function as a normal couple because it's not what we want. Things should be easier this way, but obviously I was mistaken in thinking that they would be.”

“It's not how I thought things would be either.”

“Tell M you’re going to take the mission.”

“No.”

“Please. We can't let this affect our ability to work more than it has.”

Bond growled, but walked back into M's office and Q followed. 

“Have we come to an agreement, Gentlemen?”

“Yes. I'm not going.” M's eyebrows rose impossibly high and Q shook his head. “I want to make it clear that I'm not refusing to go on missions. I would just prefer that, for the moment, you sent me on shorter ones. You know our mating wasn't under the most typical of circumstances and we don’t live as a standard couple; it puts strain on our bond, especially my instincts at a time like this. I don't think I’d do MI6 justice if I were away from my Omega at this time.” Bond stood his ground, looking M in the eye once he had finished. Q watched as M let out a deep breath and turned his gaze out the window.

“Thank you for explaining things to me properly, 007. I'm sure it wasn't easy. I suppose in light of new information, I can't in good faith force you.” Q let out a breath that he'd been holding, waiting for M's verdict. “Don't think this gets you off the hook. I'm going to have to think seriously about both your futures at Six, unless your circumstances change. Report back to me next week.” He dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

“He can't sack us,” Q told Bond once they were back in his office.

“No, but he could do something much worse.”

“What?”

“Put me behind a desk.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Yes.”

“What are we going to do?” Q asked seriously, sitting down in his chair hard.

“We could try.”

“We could not. I don't want it. You don't want it. We're fine with how things are.” Bond didn't look to happy with that. “I'll do some research. There must be some coping mechanisms; something to help you handle being away from me.”

“The internet doesn't have a fix for everything, Q.” Bond stormed out of the room and Q-branch. Q watched him go, already opening up an e-mail to Eve asking her to meet him for coffee, A.S.A.P.

*

Eve looked at him thoughtfully over her coffee mug. “He doesn't feel as though you’re truly his. That’s why he can't leave you.” 

“So, he doesn't trust me?”

“No. He doesn't trust other Alphas. Look, Q, you’re not living as a couple but as roommates. You only sleep together when you have to, and you don't reek of Bond. Basically, your bond would easily be broken if another Alpha decided to take you. I know it doesn't happen like that these days, but Alphas struggle with their more baser instincts.”

“I would have thought he would like that? Me being mated to someone else. It's the only way he'll ever be free of me.” There was a small pang in his chest at the thought of being mated to someone who wasn’t James Bond, Q was comfortable with the man, with his Alpha. He didn’t want to be mated to someone else.

“No Alpha wants that, Q. Don't say that to him either, he'll probably freak. Maybe you could share a bed - not like ‘that’, but perhaps being close to you and having his scent on you will make him feel a little more secure... Either that, or next week things will be fine again; you’ve just had your heat, remember. That fucks up any Alpha.” She said with a little giggle obviously thinking of her own Alpha.

“Well at least you've given me something to go on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Guys! Just moved house... well a couple of weeks ago! Had no idea how stressful it is!
> 
> Thanks to Dawn Phoenix for her excellent Beta work... gonna send her the next chapter tonight so that should be up soon!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me guys!


	20. A change

The pair of them carried on for the next week as normal - Q unable to address the situation, and Bond still damn well pissed off. True to his word, M summoned them to his office a week later to ‘further discuss their positions at MI6’. 

“I take it the situation hasn't rectified itself then?” Q decided not to honour the man’s sarcastic comment with an answer, M was still his boss after all, and luckily Bond held his tongue too. “Well, luckily for you our research team have found an answer. You may have heard about the youngest daughter of the Emperor of Japan being unwillingly mated to a young Alpha, a commoner by Japanese standards. Well the Emperor ploughed millions into research to discover a way to 'unmate' them.”

“But that’s impossible...” Q shook his head in disbelief. It was the first thing you learnt as a young Omega. Know when your heat is coming, take precautions, lock yourself away until you find someone worthy of your heat because one you’re mated there’s no going back.

“Your right, of course, it is impossible, but they did come up with something. A treatment, monthly injections and drugs taken every day. They dull the effect of an Alpha and Omega’s mating to a point where they can live completely separate lives. It doesn’t get rid of the bond entirely, you won’t be able to mate with anyone else, but you won't feel the bond as you do now.” He blew out a breath and sat back to better see the pair’s reaction. “Which means for you, Bond, no more intense feeling of protection, and no more strain when you’re parted. For you, Q, you won't feel the natural reliance on your Alpha or the intense need to please or obey him.”

“No.” Bond’s strained whisper echoed of the walls in an almost eerie way as he stood with his fist clenched by his sides in an attempt to stop himself grabbing onto his Omega.

“I've been assured that this reaction’s quite normal. You don't want to be parted, or so the bond is making you feel. Once you start the treatment the feelings will pass.” M looked from Bond as if he was bored, letting the streets of London occupy his attention for a while. Q could tell that on M’s part it was a display of awkwardness but it only served to make Bond’s blood boil.

“Do you have more information, sir?” Q couldn't quite believe that a drug like that existed. It seemed unethical, yet ethical. "I'd like to read up on all the facts before agreeing to anything.”

“Yes. The research team are going to meet with you in half an hour and talk you through it all, in detail, and then I'm going to give you until this evening to decide. I don't mean to rush the subject but I don't think I want either of you to over-think it.”

Q could only nod.

“You don't seriously want this do you- Q” The agent kicked his chair back so he could begin to pace the room and find what little release he could of the tension which consumed him.

“James, please, think of the bigger picture. We aren't coping with the mating, not really, we never wanted this.” Q lifted his glasses to rub his eyes tiredly. “It’s affecting our ability to work. We should seriously consider it.”

"Q, I refuse. You will too. I ord..." James dropped to the floor then like a dead weight causing a startled scream to catch its self in Q's throat as he ran over to the fallen Alpha to check his vitals. Vaguely he noticed M calmly coming to stand over the pair.

"You understand that I couldn’t let him take away your choice on the matter." He paused, letting Q calm down a little which he did once he realised that he wasn't about to do the same to him. M was leaving the choice to him. "He'll wake up in approximately an hour."

"And you'll maroon me somewhere where he can't find me until I’ve made my own choice." 

"You’re an intelligent man, Q. That’s why MI6 need you." He laid a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him back to his feet - something that he wouldn’t dare do if Bond was conscious, which made the Quartermaster a little angry. "There’s a medical team and two researchers waiting outside for you."

Q nodded slowly, glancing back down at Bond. "If my answer’s ‘yes’, what will you do with James?"

"An Alpha like James Bond would never willingly choose to be parted from his Omega in this way," M answered with an imploring stare.

"You'll force the treatment on him." He felt sick with the realisation. Now that truly was unethical, but he worked for MI6. Not everything in his line of work was completely, or even remotely, ethical.

"Once he gets over the first night he'll see the benefits of his old life. 007 never wanted an Omega, Q, remember that." M looked at the sedated agent gravely for a moment. "This is the best thing for both of you. I, for one, am completely sure of that fact."

"What of the other Alpha, in Japan. How did he feel after his treatment?" 

"He was in love with the emperor’s daughter long before they mated. I am told that her beauty is something to behold, he is still in love with her now but he bears it as he wishes her to be free." It sounded like a cheap romance novel to Q.

"And if it was the other way around, if she was in love with him?" Q looked directly into M's eyes then valuing the truth from this man.

"In that case I would say she would have had a very hard choice to make. Sometimes you have to free the ones you love so that they may find happiness." They shared a deep look and with a final nod Q left M's office, denying himself a last look at his incapacitated Alpha.

*

After Q had read just about everything the research team had put together he took a walk around the private medical facility they had brought him too. It specialised in treating Omegas who suffered a variety of ailments brought on by a broken bond. Some Omegas suffered greatly when their Alpha died. Q suspected M had chosen this place on purpose to show Q what could happen to him if Bond was killed in action. It scared him to death. Some of the Omegas were affected mentally while others suffered from physical manifestations such as constant itches and aches that made them bleed and moan; treatment was given to relive their symptoms. The ones that suffered mentally were too much for Q to bear. A couple of then sat in a vegetated state while others screamed and cried and lashed out at their carers. It was much harder to treat but over the last ten years treatment had advanced so much that one’s Alpha dying was no longer a life sentence. A life of hell. Many went on to mate again while others lived happy, full lives. 

The research had been interesting. The treatment wouldn't stop him from pining for Bond during his heat, though it would stop his overwhelming need to follow Bond’s orders - to be told what to do by the man - and he wouldn't feel the need to have the man's approval. Things were a little rougher for Bond; during his 'adjustment period' he would crave command and control and basically be a downright tyrant to those around him. Whereas Q would be allowed home tomorrow, Bond would be kept locked away for three days and on leave for the rest of the week. 

He knew that this was the right thing to do for their careers, but deep down he really didn’t want to be separated from the man. He had to think things over logically without emotion, because frankly he couldn't trust his own while he was mated. Q had not wanted to be mated. He had certainly not wanted to be mated to James Bond. Bond had never wanted to be mated to him either. The man’s career was in jeopardy because of the bond between them. On the other hand the company was nice, more than nice, the feeling of safety that he constantly felt when the man was about, and before his heat there had never been a problem with either of their performances at work. 

He was going around in circles, he thought, glaring at the white wash wall across from him. He needed a second opinion.

*

He put in the call to M and not half an hour later a despondent looking Eve arrived, wrapping Q up in her long arms. He took relief in her calming smell, burying his nose into her blouse as he had done with his mother all those years ago.

"You know what’s going on then?" He sniffed one last time before taking a seat on the grey sofa. Eve leaned against the radiator on the opposite wall, clearly wanting to give him a little bit of breathing space. 

"Yes. M filled me in. Brought me over himself actually." He could hear the anger that she had tried to hide unsuccessfully from her voice. 

"Are you here on his orders?" Q knew it was a risk calling in Eve. She might be his friend but she still took orders from M. He needed it to be his decision and not M's. Bond needed it to be his decision. A look of pain crossed over Eve's face before she choked out a "No". He’d been right - the man had ordered her to tell him that the treatment was the right course of action.

"You'll give me your opinion on this won't you?"

"I'm here as your friend, not your boss’ PA."

And so Q talked and talked and talked over the next hour, repeating himself several times until he felt he had truly exhausted the matter. Eve stared back at him from where she was now sat next to him and took a deep breath.

“This is hard for me, Q, as I truly do believe that you work well together as an Alpha and Omega. I think that one day you too might actually grow to love each other.” She groaned to show her displeasure at the conversation.

“But...” Q prompted.

“But. Yes, there is a ‘but’. I’m sorry, Q, but I don’t think you’re ready to love each other yet. When Bond finally settles down to a desk job perhaps, or maybe in another fifteen years, I don’t know... just not yet. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Her deep brown eyes shone with tears.

“Yes,” Q choked out. “Bond and I were not the plan... but we could be. Just not yet.”

“This is your choice, Q. James is strong. Whatever you decide, he’ll get through it.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

“And me? How will I live with my choice?”

“'Beause you have me, you have your job, and you will always have Bond if you want him. I’m sure of that.” 

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, drinking the Starbucks that Eve had smuggled in with her.

“Tell M I’ll do it on one condition.”

*

“The link is open, sir.”

Q simply nodded and waited until the tech op had left the room.

“James, it’s me. I wanted to tell you myself, explain things fully, but we can’t risk that. The connection is one way. I can speak to you but you can’t speak to me. I’m sorry for that.” He took a deep shuddering breath which he was sure that James would hear. “I’m going to take the treatment and so are you. I’m angry that they are going to force it on to you but I know that this is for the best. I care for you, James. I want... no, I _need_ you to know that. Some might say I was even falling in love with you for a time back there and it pains me to part us like this. We can’t be together. Not now. We need to give everything to our jobs. We serve the Queen. This is how things are in MI6, we knew that when we joined.

“Perhaps when all this is over, when you retire or finally take that god damn desk job, perhaps then we can be together. If you allow it... If you still want me. I could retire with you and we could move away; Italy, France, or god forbid, even Scotland. By the sea somewhere and live out our days together. Just not now.” Q Felt the wetness on his cheeks as he imagined Bonds screams and pleads which would do him no good beneath the restraints they were sure to have put on him. “I’ll look after myself, I promise you. I won’t take the Tube, I’ll eat when I should, I’ll take care of Crockett. Maybe you could still drive me to work once you’re feeling better, in a little while. I’m going to go now.” He felt his voice breaking and couldn’t quite manage the ‘Goodbye’ he’d meant to say. “I’ll see you soon, 007.”

With that the call was terminated and Q was taken off to a treatment room with little fuss or melodrama.

“You’re sure about this, Mr Bond?” He wished they would stop addressing him by that name.

“I suppose I am, yes.” With that the IV was pumped with drugs which had Q falling into a deep slumber within a matter of minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my excellent Beta Dawn Phoenix!


	21. February Snow

Waking up had been horrible. He could still feel James through the bond but it was dulled down as though he’d just taken some codeine for one of his headaches. After a few checks to make sure that the treatment really had worked he was sent home and told to rest. That really wasn’t a problem as he fell back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow upon arriving home. He was woken a few hours later by a very hungry cat.

“Alright, alright, I get it you’re hungry.” He pulled himself from the bed with much effort carrying Crockett to the kitchen with him. He gave himself a minute to despair over the fact that he was down to the last sachet of cat food before pulling himself together and going for a much needed shower.

When he was, showered, shaved, dried, and dressed he finally checked his phone to find one text. His heart skipped a little hoping that it was from Bond. It wasn’t.  
Can I come over? Eve  
29/1/13 12.47pm

It only took Q a second to decide that, yes, he really did need the company.

Bring cat food... and human  
Food. Don’t feel like going  
out. Q  
29/1/13 13.19pm

Eve arrive 45 minutes later carrying two full bags of shopping with her. She dropped them on the table before enveloping Q into a hug which he took as much comfort from as he could. “How are you feeling?” She asked once she had pulled away.

“Tired. I feel bloody knackered to be perfectly honest with you.” He emphasised this by crashing back down onto the sofa.

“You’re not...” 

“Regretting it? Not had time to think about it between sleeping, though I suppose I miss him already. How is he?”

“Sedated.”

“Still?” He shot up knowing that it was not typical procedure for the Alpha to be sedated nearly 24 hours after receiving treatment.

“He’s fine just a precaution. They’re going to bring him round soon.” Eve gave him a reassuring smile before beginning to unpack the shopping.

“How about I cook for you? I bet you haven’t eaten anything yet have you?” Eve sat down on the sofa pulling his feet into his lap. “After that we’ll rent a cheesy chick flick from Sky Boxoffice, eat a shit load of chocolate, and drink our weight in Vodka.”

“That sounds great... but I shouldn’t go to work with a hangover, I don’t handle them well.” He felt a small stab in his chest when he remembered how well Bond had taken care of him on New Year’s day.

“M’s ordered you to work from home this week. He also gave me two days off just to look after you. I’ll stay with you tonight if you want then help you get through your hangover in the morning?” Eve waggled her eyebrows at him.

“Miss Moneypenny, that sounds like the best idea you’ve had in a long time.”

And so Q numbed his and James’ bond even more with copious amounts of Vodka.

*

Q rose feeling unexplainably anxious. He woke Eve with an elbow a cup of Earl Grey. 

“Is there any reason why you feel the need to wake me up before 8am?” Eve clearly wasn’t a morning person.

“I feel strange... I can’t explain it. Anxious I suppose, over what I just don’t know.” Q got back under the covers pulling them over him and up to his chin. 

“Side affect?” She asked taking a sip of her tea while groping around the floor for her phone.

“Perhaps. Not one I read about.” She hummed while checking through her texts.

“Bonds awake. Could that be it?” He bolted up right trying to see the text.

“Is he alright?” He asked giving up on trying to read the text as Eve held her phone out of the way.

“He’s causing no end of trouble apparently which makes me think he is completely fine just a bit cranky.”

“I’m feeling better already.” And he was. Knowing that James was fine really had cured his anxiety. In the back of his mind he realised he probably shouldn’t be feeling like this after the treatment and from the look that Eve was sending in his direction he knew she was most definitely thinking the same thing.

 

*

February had hit London hard with bellowing snow storms that sent the city into pandemonium. Q stayed in his central heated flat watching commuters struggle to get to work through the heavy snow fall. He’d never been as glad to work from home as he was that week. He was to return to work tomorrow though it had been decide by the powers that be that a car would be sent for him for now, and probably the foreseeable future, which really did solve his snow problem.

It had been a week since he had gone on the treatment and the bond was now so numb he could barely feel his Alpha. He supposed that the real test would be seeing the man. He had missed James this last week he wouldn’t deny that. He couldn’t distinguish whether or not what he felt was the ghost of their bond or something deeper which he wasn’t yet ready to truly think about.

He typed out a dozen or so texts to Bond yet sent none of them, he hadn’t received any either. He was desperate to know that the man was ok. 

His door bell rang at around 2pm, of course it was silly for him to think that it was 007 as the man had his own key, Eve held her head low as she entered his flat. “I take it this isn’t a social call?”

“No, it’s not.” She cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’ve come to collect 007’s belongings.”

That hit Q like a ton of bricks, he’d been silly to think that he and James would continue living together as they had done before, yet he had still hoped. “M sent you?”

“I’m here at Bond’s request.” Now that really did hurt. The man obviously didn’t want to see him.

“Oh. You know where it is. I’ll gather the things in here if you want?” He hoped that she would leave him, that she wouldn’t see the pathetic tears that gathered in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Q. I should have told him no but I thought it would be better that it was me and not some spotty errand boy.” She was right of course. He cringed at the thought of crying in front of a low clearance MI6 office worker. 

“No. This isn’t your fault. I thought things would just carry on. I’ve been stupid.”

“Q, don’t say that, you’ve dealt with everything admirable. I know I wouldn’t have been half the Omega that you have been over this last week.” The reassuring smile that was on her face didn’t really help him and luckily she excused herself to Bond’s room to collect his possessions. He pulled himself together and bagged up the few items that Bond had bought for the place. His scotch, a couple of tumblers, an expensive looking piece of art work, his phone charger, laptop, and radio, all fit nicely into one bag which he handed to Eve once she came out of the bedroom with a suitcase. Really it was like Bond had only planned to stay for a short time. 

She moved to leave but Q stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Wait.” He went into his bedroom and brought out a plain white bag and handed it over to her. “Will you give him this?”

“What is it?” Eve didn’t attempt to look into the bad though Q could tell the curiosity was killing her.

“It’s a car modal. An Aston Martin DB5. A little silly, I know, but it was in the sale. I thought he might like it.” She nodded and gave him a one armed hug before leaving him alone in the flat which suddenly felt too big for one person. Silly really. He’d lived here on his own for a year before James had moved in.

It was then he realised how much James’ presence had really affected every aspect of his life.


	22. Seeing is the hardest thing

The first time Q saw Bond after their treatment couldn't have gone worse. The accidental meeting left him with a lump in his throat and feeling as though a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown over his head. Once back in his office he sent a quick email to Eve requesting her presence immediately. By the time she arrived he was behind his desk hyperventilating with the effort to keep himself from crying. She crouched down in front of him placing her hands on his knees and gently squeezed until he looked up at her.

“You've seen him then?“ She had clearly been expecting this reaction, or one similar, from him.

“Why didn't you warn me he was back?“ His voice was hoarse and broken.

“I only found out myself when he walked in demanding to speak to M just before I got your email.“ She stood up and perched herself on the top of his desk. “What happened?“

“Nothing. Nothing at all. He was getting into the lift as I was coming out. God, I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights. I just stood there, in the lift, staring at him.“ Q’s cheeks flush violently at the memory.

“What did he do?“ The tone of accusation was clear in her voice.

“He just nodded at me; well he nodded at me after he stopped the lift doors from closing on me. Nothing, no 'how you doing?', 'fancy a cup of tea?’ not even a 'good morning'. I tried to ask him if he was ok but he cut me off.“

“Cut you off?“ She frowned.

“He said in this voice, the one he uses when confronting people who are generally trying to kill him 'Isn't this your floor, Quartermaster?'“ Eves face said it all, she needn't voice her opinion. “Quartermaster. That hurt. I just sort of stumbled out the lift.“ He flailed his arms about to try and emphasise how truly pathetic he had looked. 

“Perhaps he's trying to distance himself?“ She reasoned. “You’re professionals after all.“

“When has Bond ever acted like a professional? No, he hates me.“ He flung himself back on his chair.

“Q. He doesn't hate you. He can't.“ Eve stood from the desk and moved back to kneel in front of him.

“I think he does. You don't understand the things I said to him before the treatment. I told him I thought I was falling in love with him. I told him that I wanted us to retire together one day.” He felt tears prickle his eyes again for what must have been the tenth time that week alone. “I've made a fool of myself.“

“Oh Q.“ Eve pulled him into another hug. “Should I speak with him?“

“No, please don't.“ The last thing him needed was bond thinking he was running to other people to get them to sort out his problems.

“Ok I won't.” She paused for a moment clearly deliberating whether or not she should divulge the next bit of information to him. “I think M's going to send him away.“

“Yes. I figured as much. He asked me to get some equipment ready for a long term mission to Russia.“ It was the logical course of action really. Get Bond out of the way while the dust settled.

“That’s 009. Bonds not yet cleared for long term missions.“ Eve tapped her long nails on the mahogany desk before standing up moving around the room to stretch out her legs.

“Alright.“ He tried to not let her hear the relief in his voice but he had a feeling she knew far too much about what was going on in his head to be fooled.

“Talk to him, Q. Not here. He might just be trying to keep up appearances.“ To be honest that was a distinct possibility though Bond would have found a way to inform him of his intentions. The Alpha that Q knew would have found a way to keep up appearances without ripping Q’s heart out along the way.

“Perhaps.“ He sighed.

There was a sharp rap on his door. Q composed himself as much as he could before Eve let 009 in and excused herself. Focus. He needed to focus on MI6.

*

Q didn't see Bond for another two weeks. When he caught a glimpse of the man in the canteen his heart did a sort of front flip. He quickly hid behind a column and bided his time before moving quickly out of the vicinity and back to Q-branch. Later that night he sat at home deliberating over whether or not to text the man. In a moment of lion like braveness, and a deep feeling of despair at the current situation, he dialled Bond’s number. With each ring his breaths got shorter before he finally pressed the reject button realising the man wasn't going to answer. Not 30 seconds later did his phone bleep signalling that he had received a text.  
I don't think we should speak. J  
4/3/2013 6.54pm

Q's cheeks burned with embarrassment. How can one man make him feel like such a pining idiot? His embarrassment didn't last long before it morphed into anger.

I just wanted to clear the air.   
I'm still your Quartermaster.   
We have to find a way to work   
together. Q  
4/3/13 19.07pm  
You'll do fine I'm sure. J  
4/3/13 19.10pm

Q threw his phone down on the sofa causing Crockett to jump up and scamper in to his bedroom. To Q’s surprise the phone vibrated again.  
And next time I see you leave   
the canteen without eating I'll   
report you to medical. You did   
promise me, Q.  
4/3/2013 19.13pm

His cheeks burnt with fresh embarrassment, again. James had seen that? After his head had cleared he felt a little spark of hope that had long been snubbed out. Perhaps James still did care about him.

Eve smiled the next day when Q showed her the texts. “I told you, just give him some time, yeah?“

As it turned out he wouldn't have to worry about how long to give the Alpha. Later that day Bond was sent on a three month mission to Russia. It took Q all of 20 minutes to figure out that Mercer was the handler for this mission and he secretly opened up a direct link from his laptop to Mercers computer to keep his eye on Bond. 

The next day was his day off which he planned to spend slobbing out on the sofa watching films and frequently checking up on Bonds mission status. The post arrived just after noon. There was a hand written letter amongst his bills. No one ever sent him hand written mail. He dropped it in his counter and quickly ran to his room to grab his hand held x-ray from under his bed. Once he'd established there was no threat he opened it. 

 

Q,

You probably know by now that I'll be gone for a while. I realise now that my actions over the last month have been distressing to you especially after the way things ended. I'm sorry for that. You’re right, of course, we need to clear the air but I need more time. I'm not an emotional man but it hurts for me to be near you. I need more time to adjust to the treatment. Please allow me that.   
I thought I should explain things to you because I don't want you to feel hurt. We became close... I know we never talked about that but it's been damn hard seeing you and not being able to talk to you. Perhaps when I get back I could come round to the flat and see Crockett. He should be almost fully grown by then. Stay safe, Q, and remember your promises to me.

James

P.S I took the liberty of ordering your food shop for you. It should arrive between 2pm and 4pm. This way I know that you eat for at least a month while I'm gone.

Q smiled. Perhaps things were going to work out. He put the letter on the fridge with magnets Bond had brought back from one of his missions and took out his phone. One last text wouldn't do him any harm would it?

I've missed you. Q  
6/4/2013 12.17pm

Bond didn't reply but Q hadn’t really expected him too. He called Eve and they spent an hour just talking about the letter after which she declared she was coming over after work so that she could see it with her own eyes. 

Q smiled for the first time since he had begun taking his treatment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had these chapters for ages... just wasn't sure if they were right. thought I'd post them almost together far you lovely people!


	23. Of course

True to 007s word, or note, food had arrived for Q and it was most definitely enough to keep him from going hungry for at least a month. Between his own work he kept a close eye on Bond’s mission although it had soon become clear that Mercer picked up very little activity from Bond and the agent himself was only instructed to check in every seven days. Perhaps Q may have tracked him a few times by hacking into Russian satellites on the days when he felt Mercer was slacking and he may or may not have programmed his computer to send texts to his phone notifying him when activity happened to be reported by Mercer. This meant that he had his fair share of suspicious glances from M when he happened received a text at the same time that the man had had his own mission update through.

Eve had been his rock throughout the last month though he knew that for her sake he had to rely on her comfort less and less. His omega friend revealed that with help from MI6 she and her Alpha were attempting to adopt the child that Bond had rescued up in Glasgow. He was ecstatic for her finally getting the thing she had always wanted. 

February snow melted leaving ample space for the early buds of March. Q was despondent, tired of work, tired of his treatment, tired of missing James Bond. He was tired and it wasn't yet midday. Swilling around his tea, which was much below its standard drinking temperature, he sighed and sat back in his chair. Perhaps he was just hungry. Fishing around in his pant pockets he hooked a pound and decided to head to the vending machine at the end of the corridor and select a packet of biscuits. He trudged through Q-Branch in such a way not even his newest inexperience minions tired to capture his attention. He plopped his pound in and punch ‘B6’ on the keypad the packet of digestive moved forward falling into the draw below. He bent down to pick them up but felt a bit light headed when he stood back up. Perhaps he needed food more than he realised. He turned back towards Q-branch noticing that the corridor was decided tilted. Slamming his hand on to the vending machine to try and get his bearings back, it didn't help, his limbs felt a little numb. How embarrassing. He was about to faint in the middle of the corridor at MI6.

*

When Q came back to consciousness he wasn't sure if he was relived or not to find that he was no longer on the corridor floor. He tried to sit up but a firm hand pushed him down.

"I think we should wait until the doctor gives you the all clear, Q." M. Trust his boss to be here. "Imagine my surprise to find my Quartermaster having a little nap on the corridor floor." 

Q mustered the courage to look up into M's face who was quirking an eyebrow as if waiting for an explanation. Of course it would have had to be M who happened to stumble across him. "How long have I been here?"

"Twenty minutes.” M looked at his watched. Surely than man had better things to do than sit at his sick bed? “ The Doctor is running some tests on your blood in the lab with a few of the researchers. I’m sure he won’t be long."

"Blood? Researchers?" They'd taken his blood? Surely that was a bit extreme for one fainting instance?

"Don't worry. I made them. I need to know if you’re fit for work." He stopped abruptly Q frowned realising there was something he had left unsaid.

"You think it's the treatment? You want to know if 007 is fit for duty?" He heard the note of panic in his voice long before he felt it creeping up on his consciousness and filling it with images of Bond being taken ill in the most unfortunate circumstances.

"You know I wouldn't jeopardise Bonds life. I need to know if I should terminate his mission." Q didn’t believe that he would put bonds life before the country. Who did the man think he was talking to?

The door opened and the doctor who had been giving him his checkups since he had been put on the treatment entered. He cleared his throat nervously. "I have the results back and I can confirm that it was not the treatment which caused today's episode, Sir." He addresses the Alpha in the room, not Q, the actual patient here. Fucking Alphas.

M made a small noise which sounded somewhere between relief and approval. When the doctor didn't continue with his diagnosis the other Alpha waved his hands impatiently.

"He's pregnant, Sir."

You’d expect complete silence after a statement such as that, well Q always had anyway, but he was almost defend by the sound of his own blood rushing past his ears. "I'm what?" The question was whispered yet he was sure the Alphas heard it.

"He said you're pregnant, Q." M reiterated for him glancing to the Omega on the bed before turning back to the Doctor.

"Yes, you're..."

"I heard what you said but how? I've been using contraceptives." And he had, religiously, since his first heat. 

"When was your last heat?" Oh god. Now he was going to have to endure embarrassing questions been asked of him while in front of his boss.

"January." He said with a cringe; he hated thinking back on that last heat. 

"What date exactly?" The doctor continued taking notes.

"God knows..."

"The seventh." M sent a shrug in Q's direction. "I filled in the paper work to give you leave."

"The seventh of January, excellent, that would make you almost 13 weeks along. You don't remember any changes leading up to that heat, anything unusual... From the date I have down as your mating with 007 you were two months early."

"I was but Bond said that was the suppressants. The week before I'd been working... In Glasgow. Fuck. Glasgow. I didn't take my contraceptive pills for probably two days." How can he only just remember this now?

"Meaning you became fertile and your body went through a ‘mini heat’ so to speak.” He carried on looking through his notes.

"Bond said it was because I had been on suppressant for so long." Not quite willing to believe that the pregnancy was, ultimately, his fault.

"That can cause irregular heats too. There's no real way to know until you turn up pregnant of course and suddenly remember that you forgot to take your contraceptives a few times." He gave a nervous laugh. If Q didn’t already know what a socially inept idiot the man was he would think that he was suggesting he had got pregnant on purpose by not taking his contraceptives. "As far as your treatment goes I believe you should continue as normal until Bond returns and then we'll look into weaning you both off it. Wouldn't really be safe to keep you on it for the whole pregnancy yet it will cause too much distress if we take you off it at this point. "

“Should I send for the man?” M was talking about James of course but a sharp pain shot through him at the thought of the man’s early return. 

“I think we have at least another month or so yet before we end the treatment. I will leave 007s return entirely in your digression, Sir.” The doctor went.

M turned to Q slowly. “Do you want him back?”

“Will you get him for me if I said I did?”

“I would. I know you don’t think so but I do feel slightly responsible for your predicament. There were measures I could have taken to ensure that you and Bond didn’t end up in this sorry situation.” Q saw it, the look of remorse that swept over M’s face for the first time since he and Bond had mated. “All them months ago you were right. I shouldn’t have sent an Alpha after you; heck I’ve had enough schooling on the matter to know what could have happened, what did happen. Do you know how it feels to make a mistake and watch the two of you struggle through it. I’m sorry for that.” Q nodded. “Now shall I send for the man or not.”

“No.” He shook his head. The man nodded and headed towards the door.

"Could you get, Moneypenny, please?" He needed to talk this over with someone.

 

"Yes. I'll send her in. Let me know if you want me to send for Bond. I can have him here tonight if that’s what you need."

 

"Thank you. I'll think about it."

 

*

"I can't believe it." Eve flung herself back into the chair she was sitting on next to Q’s bed.

 

"Neither can I. James is going to hate me." He closed his eyes and burrowed a little deeper under the covers.

 

"I don't think he will but I think the treatment will be a little bit redundant."

 

"They're taking us off it any way to make sure it doesn’t have a negative effect on the pregnancy." The thousands that MI6 had spent on this treatment for Q to end up pregnant.

“Are you happy?” Eve asked seriously but Q really didn’t have an answer. “I think you’re going to be an excellent mother anyway.”

Q scoffed. “It’ll be beautiful won’t it?”

“How could James Bonds baby not be?” She laughed when Q made an indignant sound and went to hit her with the pillow.


	24. Guess who's back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bond returns!

The days that followed Q's revelation were hectic. His workload seemed to find its self halved, he really should thank M for that, though he found that the time that had been cleared was filled with Doctors appointments, Midwife appointments, and god forbid he forgot a H.R appointment. News of his pending 'motherhood' had travelled fast through six but his minions rallied round him admirably. He hadn't wanted it to be a secret but he would have preferred to have had the chance to tell Bond first before everyone at the office knew. On the plus side it did mean he could keep the scan picture blu tak'd to the bottom corner of his computer; it was a little surreal tracking terrorists between glances at the baby growing inside him. 

Mid way through his Friday debriefing with his department heads his office phone rang. He let it ring out. The second time it rang he picked it up and slammed the thing back down flashing a quick smile to the others he continued on with his meeting. On the third ring he decided to pick it up and tell whoever it was to kindly 'fuck off'.

"Yes." He answered curtly rolling his eyes at the room in general, a couple of his Heads chuckled.

"Its me." Eve whispered down the line. "Bonds back. M's bringing him to you for a debrief."

"When?" Q heart gave one almighty thump - the sound of his blood rushing to his head was so intense that he almost Eve's next words.

"They're on their way." He looked up to see M opening the door to Q-branch followed by 007 who kept his head down a small tell that he was clearly apprehensive about their reunion.

"They're here." Q hissed to Moneypenny before clicking the phone back on its stand without ending the call with any of his usual pleasantries. The other occupants of the room looked like deer caught in headlights as they glanced between their boss and the two approaching men. 

M pulled his office door open and gave the Heads a withering look. "Out." They didn't need telling twice; they squeezed past M gave Bond a wide birth before exiting Q-Branch altogether.

"Bond." M motioned for the blond to enter the office. Q realised he must look like a gold fish staring at Bond who still hadn't looked at him. Did he know? "Q sorry to interrupt but I thought that this was more pressing."

"No, of course." He hated that his voice sounded a little shaky.

"I'll leave you to it then." M nodded as he closed Q's office door taking the rest of his Minions with him. Finally Bond looked at him.

"Whats happened?" They're was a force behind the question which was purely instinctual which Q had only ever heard in an Alphas voice.

"What?" The meekness in the tone of his voice hadn't improved.

"Well M escorts me to your office the minute I get in, interrupting your weekly briefing, then sends away the rest of Q-Branch just for my debriefing. I'd say somethings going on." Bond's jaw was set in a way that suggested Q shouldn't argue.

"James. Please. Give me a second," Q puffed out a breath trying to gather his thoughts. "I didn't even know you were back."

"Are you alright?" James locked eyes with him in such a manner it was clear that he wouldn't be excepting anything but the truth from Q today.

"Yes." Q coughed.

Bond held up the said appointment card for a check up with his Midwife next week. "This appointment card begs to differ."

"Its just a check up." He grabbed the card from Bonds hand but the man caught his wrist before head could pull him back. Q was pulled gently yet firmly closer to though the desk still stood between them but the distance allowed Q to whisper. "Don't lie to me, Q."

"James. I'm pregnant." 

Silence. The sort of silence that generally follows a statement such as that one. Bond's fingers loosen allowing Q to free his wrist and take a step back.

"You're..."

"Yes."

"Your last..."

"Heat. Yes."

"Fucking Hell."

"Something like that, yes." They stared at each other for a moment before Q turned away to the cooler. "Water?"

"Whiskey?"

"Sorry. Pregnant remember." He placed the cup of water in front of Bond on the desk as the man sat down hard in the nearest chair. "I know its a shock."

"You should have sent for me sooner." The blond took a sip of his water.

"You had a job to do." Q reminded him sitting down too. His eyes caught the ultrasound. "Would you like to see a picture? Makes it more real. I don't think it really sunk in for me until I saw it in black and white."

"Picture?"

"Ultrasound." He clarified plucking the picture from his monitor and sliding it across the desk as though he was giving 007 his next target. The agent reached forward and picked up the picture slowly.

He squinted at the scan chuckling hopelessly after a moment. "I can't tell if its a baby or a very old satellite picture of Russia during a hurricane."

"Well, it might help if you held it the right way up." He laughed as Bond flipped the picture though he still frowned at it.

"I'll be moving back in of course."

"Your old room."

"For now." Q raised his brows at that. "Well, it'll be the nursery soon I suppose."

"I haven't thought about it to be honest." There were lots of things he hadn't thought about that he probably should of. 

"You haven't?" He knew why the man was slightly surprised by that. Q was a planner, always was, always will be.

"Perhaps we should move to a house?" He suggested before really thinking about it. Though maybe he would like that. I proper home. I proper place to raise a baby.

"Perhaps. I'll look into it." Bond glanced back down at the picture.

"Are you ok with this?" Q took the picture back from the blond a little worried that his molten lava like stare might set it alight, and really, he was quite attached to the picture.

"I not really sure it has quite sunk in yet." He followed Q's hand with his eyes as he tak'd the scan back in its rightful home.

"I know." Q sent a quick smile in the mans direction finally glad to share the... burden, no that wasn't right, load with someone else. "They want to wean us off the treatment."

"I thought as much. I suppose our instincts will kick in." Bond stood then and Q stood with him.

"You're not obligated to... do... well anything. I'm pretty sure this is all my fault. I missed a couple of contraceptive pills." He looked down at his desk suddenly ashamed. "I would understand."

"In Scotland?" He just nodded without looking back up at the man. "It happens to the best of us. Perhaps its a sign from nature... A couple of missed pills here and there and we ended up mated and pregnant. I'm as much to blame as you are. Back when you were caught I could have sent for Beta help as soon as I smelt your heat. When we went to Glasgow I could have remembered to bring along your pills. When you went into heat again I could have left you to deal with it on your own... I should have questioned why you were in heat." 

"I suppose there is no point us dwelling on the past. Just were to go from here."

"Back to yours?"

"Yes. I'm a bit tired now you mention it. Your debriefing?"

"Tomorrow." He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "I left my car downstairs while I was away."

"You'll want to carry my bag too I suppose." 

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry in the wait and then such a short chapter too! I got a new phone and my writing was on my old one and it's taken a while to work out how to move it across... I'm not much of a techie! 
> 
> Also me a my long term partner separated and I've been busy trying to sort out our finances, home, pets, ect! 
> 
> You can all take a deep breath though now as I am back for good! 
> 
> Thanks for your continued support, kudos, and lovely comments! They really do keep me going! 
> 
> Jane Alpha


	25. The pen is mightier than the stylus

The next couple of weeks were a little awkward as he and 007 learnt to live with each other again. The man stayed in the spare room though he checked on him every night before he went to bed and woke him every morning with a cup if tea; Q had serious suspicions that he was checking on him during the night but he had yet to catch the agent in the act. He was surprised by how much calmer he felt knowing his Alpha was just in the next room. It was a little annoying how 007 was treating him like a doll, he wouldn't let Q lift a finger round the flat, wouldn't let him lift anything he deemed too heavy (by the way a fruit bowl was not too heavy), wouldn't let him reach up for things on high shelfs, wouldn't let him stand outside in the spring chill for too long. This was quite a real and raw tension between them but he knew he wasn't the only Omega to go through the challenges of an over protective Alpha. 

Today Bond was on a mission to bring in a suspected spy operating in London. A potentially dangerous spy according to the intel file which was why M and Tanner were currently hovering over his shoulder while he directed 007. Q had brought up the CCTV on Q-branches big screen and even his minions had stopped working to watch the action.

"Take a left on to Pepys street."

"Yes, Q. I can the car you realise."

"I know. I just fancied brushing up on my Sat Nav skills." Q quipped why studying a map of London trying to figure out where the spy was heading. The cars sped on to Coppers Row when Q spotted the police cars at the junction up ahead. He sent a questioning look a M who shrugged.

"There's three police cars ahead one unmarked. They may cause a problem." Bond groaned.

"Tell them to stand down."

"Already tapping into their radios." He passed a head set over to M while quickly setting up a direct link to the police cars. Q could see from the CCTV that the coppers seemed to be on a break and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They raced to their respective cars as Bond flew past but M was already patched through before they could even turn their lights on ordering them to stand down. This was not a police matter. The attention that sirens and blue flashing lights would gather would be disastrous; especially if the media got hold of it.

"Any idea where he's going?" Q frowned at the map again knowing it's was Bonds best shot if they got a heads up on this man. He flicked through pieces of information which he had highlighted on his case tablet.

"Victoria Park. He's met with someone there a couple of times over the last month. Bond get there before him and get yourself into a good position. We need to bring him in with as little fuss as possible without the Czechs realising we have their spy." He seamlessly hacked into the Councils CCTV in Victoria Park.

"And if he poses a threat to civilians?" Valid. The spy was suspected of snapping a mans neck though they had yet to find motive in the 'assassination'.

"Take him down, Bond." M shouted at the screens. 

"Noted."

Bond reached the park in five minutes, leaving his car park behind a van, he climbed in to the bushes.

"Suspects two minutes out, Bond. Looks like he's heading for the entrance 400 yards east of you. Clever."

"Care to share, Q?"

"Damaged CCTV cameras in that area. We'd be blind." Bond didn't reply, Q, M, and Tanner, listened as to the man moving through the bushes a shrubs before coming to a stop. A minute or so later Bond clearly had his target in sight as his fast paced movement rustled through Q-Branch. There was the sounds of a scuffle, heavy breathing, punches, click of a gun safety being deactivated, before silence. 

"I have him in custody." Q let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Bring him in. I'll send an operative to collect his car."

"I'll see you in half an hour." With that the agent terminated the connection and Q turn to M and Tanner.

"Good job, Q." He raised an eyebrow at him and it was only then that he realised that he had a hand rested on his stomach. He had noticed a small bump in his usually flat stomach the week before - since then he had taken to resting his hand on it when no one was looking... Oh and clearly when James Bond was in danger. Thankfully M didn't comment as he moved his hand away to the safety of his computer mouse. "Tanner assemble an interrogation team; Czech speakers." 

An hour later Q had locked himself in his office to attempt to catch up on some emails when Bond let himself in. The blond looked untouched from this mornings scuffle; the spy wasn't up to their usually standard.

"Debriefed already?" Q asked leaning back in his chair.

"Hmm. Bit of a straight forward one." Bond slid his gun and ear piece across the table. "Your equipment. Sign them off quick so we can grab lunch before your appointment."

Q had an ultrasound booked with his midwife; Bond would be attending for the first time. Q had almost been able to feel the mans nervous energy this morning on the way to work. He didn't blame him he himself was a little apprehensive too. 

"Food sounds great!" He was starving but that was nothing new these days.

"Have you finished your water?" Bond asked eyeing the water bottle on Q's desk.

"Yes. I have adhered to midwife orders." He locked 007's equipment in the top draw before grabbing his phone and heading out the door. "Come on, I really hope they are serving Pizza."

Thankfully they were and after a quick lunch the pair headed to medical where they were greeted on arrival by the midwife who was contracted to MI6 on a bi-weekly basis to check over the expectant mothers and new mothers both on staff and in the cells. Q knew there was only himself and one other Omega that she visited at six at the moment.

"Come in. I take it that you're James?" She shook the Alphas hand clearly unconcerned with what the mans job might be within six; she was not privy to that information. "How have you been, Q?"

"Fine. Really fine. I barely notice any symptoms at all." He was helped up on to the bed by Bond. 

"You're lucky then. Perhaps it's a family trait to have such easy pregnancies? My own where both horrendous as were my mothers as she frequently reminded me." She motioned for him to pull up his shirt.

"My Mothers first pregnancy was difficult. He used to say my brother was a difficult pregnancy, a difficult baby, an absolutely horrendous toddler, and then a glorious child. I think he was hinting that I was the opposite if that." Q smiled a little wistfully as he exposed he's midriff to the Midwife and Bond.

"I can imagine that you would have been hard to keep occupied." Q just shrugged and luckily the she seemed to realise that that was all the talking he wanted to do about his family. "Right I'm going to measure your stomach."

"I'm only just starting to show," Q glanced down at his small bump. "I thought I'd be showing a lot earlier."

The nurse chuckled and measured his stomach. "Male Omegas have much smaller bumps because of where the baby lies but first time pregnancy generally take longer to show. It's a perfectly normal sized bump." 

Q sneaked a glance at Bond then to see how the man was fairing up. A little droplet of sweat had appeared on his brow. 

"Let's weigh you first before we do the ultrasound. Bond help him sit up then placed a strong hand on his forearm to support him as he jumped off the bed. He shook the man off then to stand on the scales unaided. The nurse smiled reassuringly. "Seven pound gain overall which is right on track."

She guided him back on the bed then pulling out her gel while motioning for Q to pull his shirt back up. His eyes flicked to the monitor when he felt the transducer being placed over his belly. After half a minute or so he heard the unmistakable sound of the baby's heart beat and let out the breath he had been holding. He felt 007 grab his forearm lightly, still nervous then, he slid his arm up slightly so the man could hold his hand instead. He didn't turn from the screen though; he was to eager to see his baby again.

"Ah there they are!" The nurse exclaimed pointing out the outline of the baby - by now Q was a self taught sonogrammer with the help of google of course. 

"They look so much bigger." Q whispered to her.

"Yes. That's the general idea. Still not big enough to tell the sex though, that'll be next months appointment, if that's what you want of course." She didn't wait for an answer before she continued on explaining the ultrasound; the only indication that Bond was even in the room was the occasional tightening of his hand.

*

"James, you've taken the wrong exit." Q frowned looking up from his phone. 

"We need to stop off somewhere." The blond kept his eyes on the road.

"Where?" His phone was completely forgotten by now - his email to 'Car Man' only half finished.

"Only ten minutes out of the way, Q." Soon enough they pulled into a posh Edwardian road with a gated garden area set in the centre. 

"James?" Bond pulled the car into the side of the road and jumped out coming round to open the door for Q. "What are we doing here?"

"There's a house for sale. I want you to see it." He placed his hand on Q's back and guided him towards a glossed black door which looked stunning against the white stone. James Bond was always full of surprises - especially when he starts picking locks of random houses.

"Are we breaking in?" Q's stage whisper brought a smirk to the blinds face. "Shite. We'll get caught."

"Double Ohs never get caught," the locked clicked. "Besides it's unoccupied."

The entrance hall was wide with a large staircase leading upstairs, further down the hall there was another staircase leading, presumably, to the basement. "Let's start from the top and work our way down." 

The house had four bedrooms, the master one had an on suite bathroom, there was another big bathroom on the first floor directly at the top of the stairs. The ground floor had three large reception rooms and the back one lead out on to a patio. The basement Q like the best. There was another toilet to the back but the rest of the space was dedicated to a large open plan kitchen with another sitting area to the front of the basement. "I thought it would serve well as a play area while we were cooking. There's enough room to have your own office upstairs which I'm sure you'll need while on maturity leave." 

Q walked back around the basement and into the kitchen area running his hand across the black marble work surfaces. He stopped at the black American style fridge freezer and couldn't help but press the ice button which, to his surprise, ejected a couple of blocks of ice. He laughed as Bond rolled his eyes picking up the blocks before tossing them in the sink. "I suppose that features essential for your whiskey."

"Quite. Open the fridge." Q gave him a puzzled look but seen as he'd only ever bought his own flat the once he assumed 'checking the fridge out' was something you were supposed to do. Inside he was surprised to see an A4 brown envelope; Bond nodded his encouragement and Q took the packet out and pulled out the papers from inside.

"The deeds?" Q flicked through the papers. "You've signed them."

"All they need is your signature and this place is ours." Bond took an uncertain step forward. 

"James..."

"It's too much isn't it? I should of consulted with you first." The man made to grab the papers but Q held them back from his Alpha.

"I don't have a pen." There's eyes locked as the agent assessed Q's sincerity before he reached into his inside pocket for a pen. He placed the papers on the side and took the offered writing utensil. Bond moved closer and put an arm around his waist silently pointing out were Q needed to sign his civilian alias' signature. When he was done he folded the papers back together and handed them to Bond. He let go of his waist and the pair stared at each other for a moment before they both broke out into honest smiles which rarely graced the faces of MI6 employees.

"We have a house, Q."

"We have a beautiful home, James."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued support and lovely comments! I was worried you'd all of forgotten NTP!


	26. Looking it over

"Q? You in, love?" There was a few bumps and bangs from the front hallway as Moneypenny brought the push chair in through the front door. It was quite obvious that she still needed a little bit of practice.

"Up here!" Q carried on painting listening to the other Omega speaking softly while rummaging around before heading up the stairs.

"I've brought Ben to see his favourite Uncle," the adoption had been finalised the month before and Moneypenny was on adoption leave until Ben was settled which was great for Q seeing as his working hours were being monitored meaning he could no longer get away with the hours he had been pulling. He found other things to do, thankfully; such as sorting baby clothes into neat piles. Eve placed the toddler on the floor next to Q before planting a kiss on Q's uncombed head. "Pregnancy suits you."

Q scoffed but chose to ignore his friend in favour of rubbing Ben’s back in greeting. "Hello Master Moneypenny. How is the world treating you today?" The child gave him a small smile and reached out to stroke the tiny woollen cardigan in Q's hand.

"Still not a word?" He glanced up at Moneypenny who only shrugged. Ben hadn't made a sound other than whimpering or crying ever since Glasgow. The doctors, health visitors, and social workers had all assured the Moneypennys that it was due to lack of interaction with his birth parents and with a bit of patience and attention he should begin to speak. 

Eve sat down on the floor next to Q and pulled the boy into her lap; he went without a fuss turning slightly to play with her curls. "It'll be his birthday next week. I came round wondering if you wanted to help me plan a little party for him.” She distracted the child from playing with her hair buy giving him a soft toy from her bag – Q wondered if he would take to motherhood as quickly as Moneypenny. “I'll let you order everything online."

"Of course! Anything to keep me occupied. Though James has started confiscating my computer devices when he leaves the house... I don't think he quite realises anything you can do on a computer you can do on a phone." He waved his rather large smart phone cheerily.

"Is he not wondering how you order all these things online?" Eve picked up a romper suit which was embellished with a thick pair of glasses.

 

"He's never here when the postman arrives luckily. I plan it so that it comes on my days off." He gave her a little wink. "I just hope he doesn't see my bank statement!" 

Moneypenny scoffed. "That ones easy to get away with; 'you want the best for our child don't you, Bond?” Works every time trust me." 

"I'll take you word for it." He manoeuvred himself to his knees and carefully hoisted himself up; it was simple things like that that he was finding more and more difficult everyday with his almost six month old bump. "Come on I'll make tea and we'll sit in the garden and enjoy the sun - plus I want to show it off; the landscaper finished yesterday – you’d hardly believe it was in London." 

"Oh yes! I completely forgot lead the way then."

The Garden was where Bond found Q still sitting that evening when he returned from work. He was sat on a two man wooden swing staring out at the sky; Bond had suggested the swing claiming it would be good for rocking the baby to sleep outside in the warmer months. Q found the chair quite relaxing and he suspected that his Alpha did too by the amount of time they spent on it these days. The blond stepped in front of the swing bending over it two stop it's rocking by placing his hands either side of Q.

"Have you eaten?" Bonds eyes narrowed; Q had become accustomed to this line of questioning upon the man’s return.

"Hello to you too, James." He sat up in the chair a little to get comfortable for the quiz that was most likely about to begin.

"Evening, Q." Bond replied without missing a beat placing a chaste kiss on the side of Q's mouth; this had become a regular occurrence since they had moved into the house. He assumed that it was to do with the pregnancy and the Alphas need to satisfy the bond; Q found that he didn't mind the kisses much at all. "Now answer the question."

"I haven't stopped eating all day but if you’re asking if I've had dinner then no, I have not had my dinner yet, I thought it only polite to wait for you." Q smiled and went to get up from the chair but Bond laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Stay. I'll nip round the corner and get us Chinese; there's no food in anyway." The man straightened up squeezing Q's shoulder gently as he did so.

"Maybe you could let me have my laptop while you're gone? I could put a food order in for delivery, it’ll come tomorrow." He rubbed his belly as it rumbled.

"How about we actually go to a real shop and do it ourselves in the morning?" The blond raised an eyebrow when Q shrugged nonchalantly. "Write a shopping list, with a pen, we'll go tomorrow. Chicken batter balls, rice, with sweet and sour sauce I presume?"

"Don't forget the BBQ ribs and prawn crackers," Bond scoffed at Q's request which he responded to with an indignant cry. "I'm starving!"

The alpha held his hands up as he started backing towards the house, "Your wish is my command." He gave a short bow before turning on his heel and heading off not before letting himself smile at Q's chuckle.

Once the Chinese had been eaten and the shopping list completed James returned Q's laptop to him for an ‘hour’ while he read the evening Telegraph. 

"I stopped by HR today." James folded his paper up after only twenty or so minutes. "They said that you still hadn't returned your maternity forms yet."

Q shuffled nervously; he knew that this would come up sooner or later yet he still wasn't prepared for it. "I don't want to take time off." The room was deadly silent; the Alpha stared at him blankly before giving a sharp short laugh.

"I won't allow it." The blond stood as he almost whispered the words. "HR won't allow it!"

"I don't want to be here alone with a baby I can return to work as soon as medical clear me. I might only have to take two weeks off then I can be back doing what I do best." Q shrugged and turned back to his laptop. Bond had other ideas though; the lid was closed and the laptop taken from him – Q risked a glance at the man but wished he hadn’t. He’d never seen his Alpha look angrier.

"And where may I ask are you planning on giving birth? At your desk while tapping into a Russian satellite?" The Alpha stood up irritated enough that he had to pace.

"Well my desk isn't exactly far from medical is it?" Q almost rolled his own eyes at his feeble argument.

"Q; I want you with our child. Who exactly is going to look after the baby while you’re at work?"

"A nanny! Like every other Londoner!" Q shot up exclaiming his point with his hands. "I never wanted children or an Alpha for that matter; I wanted a career! Now I wouldn't give this child up for the world but that doesn't mean I want to be a stay at home Mum! Why can't I have a child and a career?"

"You’re my Omega and I want you here with our child like other Omegas!" The room went deadly silently; Q felt his eyes bristle with tears as his cheeks flared partly from embarrassment and partly through anger. Bond seemed to take a calming breath so his voice was more controlled when he continued. "I don't want you to give up your career but it's important that you spend the first few months with our child cause you know damn well I won't be around all the time!"

"M's stopped sending you away!"

"Don't be naive! As soon as my paternity leave finishes I will be back on fully active duty – the man asks me every day if I would consider going out of the country for a few days. He’s made it clear that he will be sending me away as soon as he can – I’m needed. That's why I need you to be here; I can't be." Bond let out a breath and pulled out an envelope from his inside pocket. "Six months, Q. Then we'll be able to put the baby in the crèche at six. I need to know they'll be safe with you till then. I’ll even let you have your laptop.”

Q hesitantly took the documents. He could understand 007’s trepidation but he still didn't like it. He sniffed and turned away. "I'll read this over."

"I've filled it in for you it just needs signing." Sometimes he truly felt he might actually hate his Alpha. Especially when the man was probably right.

"I said that I would read it over.” He turned his head slightly chin raised defiantly. “Sleep in your own room tonight." The Alpha just gave him a sharp nod before exiting the room.

The next day Q dropped the forms into HR. He couldn't fault his Alpha’s reasoning as much as he wanted too. He respected the fact that Bond hadn't forced him but had put forward a good argument for maternity leave. Bond was right though; the baby really did need him to be around for the first few months and really the thought of trusting a nanny with his child was a little daunting. It was only six months. Six months and then the baby could come into work with him - he could visit in his breaks, watch them on CCTV – though he would probably do that with a nanny too, and he wanted to show off his child just a tiny bit. It was something widely acknowledged in six; any child of James Bond would be beautiful.

Yes. Q the career Omega was actually going to take maternity leave. That was most unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I was without Laptop for a very long time but I treated myself this week and I will be completing this work very very soon.
> 
> I hope you don't all hate me too much and I really hope you all see this story through to its end with me.


End file.
